Union asks HSE to pull psychology role in South West over lack of consultation

HSE competition for director of psychology in the South-West, which ended on August 1, sought applicants for a post that would oversee the 'psychological service beyond psychology to include... nurses with psychotherapy/counselling training'.

A second union has called for the HSE to withdraw a controversial new job specification which would see psychiatric nurses overseen by the psychology service.

Fórsa, Ireland’s largest public sector union and the main union for psychologists, said it would request, in writing, that the HSE withdraws the new director of psychology role as it had received no consultation or engagement from the health service, either locally in Cork/Kerry or at a national level prior to the role being advertised.

Last week, the Psychiatric Nurses Association, the main union for the profession, requested that the new role be “withdrawn immediately” given it represented “a clear attempt to alter the terms and conditions of employment of our members”.

There are roughly 7,400 psychiatric nurses employed in Ireland.

The creation of the new role has sparked an industrial relations row among the profession as the function to which psychiatric nurses would be accountable was to be changed without their input or consultation, sources said.

The HSE competition for director of psychology in the South West, which ended on August 1, sought applicants for a post that would oversee the “psychological service beyond psychology to include... nurses with psychotherapy/counselling training".

Now, Fórsa has informed its members it will also be requesting the withdrawal of the new role, stating  the job is not one that had been agreed to at a national level.

The third significant union for psychiatric nurses, Siptu, meanwhile, said it would be seeking a meeting with local HSE management in the South West regarding the role to address the concerns raised by its nursing members.

Separately, the professional body the Psychological Society of Ireland said it was also not consulted “on any aspect” of the new role.

A spokesperson acknowledged its membership “has expressed concerns regarding certain elements of the job description for this position”.