Psychiatric nurses vote in favour of industrial action amid staffing dispute with HSE

The PNA has between 6,500 and 7,000 members. File Picture: Jeff Moore/PA Wire

Members of the union representing psychiatric nurses has voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action amid a dispute with the HSE over staffing shortages in mental the country's health services and hospitals.

Following the outcome of a ballot of members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), the union has issued the HSE with three weeks’ notice of the commencement of industrial action. It will begin on July 18.

PNA General Secretary Peter Hughes said the fact 96% of PNA members voted in favour of the action confirms the “annoyance and frustration” of psychiatric nurses with the HSE’s refusal to exempt mental health services from its recruitment embargo, in place since November of last year.

The PNA has between 6,500 and 7,000 members.

Its proposal backs industrial action up to and including strikes, though no decision on what exact form the action will take has been made yet.

“There are over 700 vacancies in the mental health services which is seriously impacting on the delivery of care, the depletion of frontline services and the inability to develop services,” Mr Hughes said.

On Tuesday, to mark the publication of his organisation’s 2023 Annual Report, head of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) John Farrelly said a number of acute inpatient centre providers, particularly the HSE, are “struggling to meet standards” in areas such as planning, staffing, and risk management.

The PNA called the findings of the MHC's report “deeply concerning” given they relate to the period before the recruitment embargo was introduced.

“The provision of basic psychiatric services throughout the country, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is reliant on both overtime and agency,” Mr Hughes said.

“This situation is unsustainable and there is real concern that the current situation will ultimately result in the closure of services. It is essential that the recruitment of Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurses is exempt from the recruitment freeze, as a matter of urgency.“ 

Mr Hughes said the country's mental health services are currently at “a critical point” with the possible closure of further services at community level posing a “significant risk in the community and increased admissions”.

“There is also a risk factor in terms of clinical governance with the number of critical promotional posts that have not received derogation.” 

Mr Hughes called on the HSE to engage with the PNA to “realistically acknowledge the extent of the staffing crisis and exempt mental health services from the recruitment ban”.

“That is the only way that the confidence of our members will be restored and that we can be guaranteed a proper nursing workforce to meet the chronic staff shortages being faced now and in the coming years,” he added.

"Despite the recruitment pause necessary as a result of the over recruitment in 2023 in all grades, the CEO of the HSE has made derogations in relation to a range of essential services," a HSE spokesperson told the Irish Examiner.

The spokesperson stated that that there was an increase in the number of psychiatric nurses employed in each of the first three months since the recruitment pause was introduced. 

"Derogations from the pause can be sought from the CEO and between December 2022 and April of this year the mental health nursing workforce increased from 4924 whole time employees to 5092 whole time employees, an increase of 168," they added. 

"We have committed to offering every 2024 graduate psychiatric nurse a position with the HSE, as we have done in each of the last four years. We have recently met the PNA and will continue to engage with them on their concerns."