Heart operations to be cancelled tomorrow due to strike over pay

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill chatting with patient Kathleen Kavanagh from Charleville after the health minister officially opened an extension at Mallow General Hospital, which includes 24 beds which recently came into use. Picture: Brian Lougheed

Heart operations are to be cancelled on Tuesday due to a strike of cardiac specialists over pay.

Some 25 perfusionists — medics who operate the machines that manage the function of a patient’s heart and lungs during surgery – will strike across five hospitals on Tuesday.

Cardiac surgeries at Cork University Hospital, the Mater Hospital, St James’s Hospital, Children’s Health Ireland, and Galway University Hospital are to be impacted.

Trade union Fórsa is pushing to re-establish the pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists.

That pay link was broken in 2024 unilaterally by the HSE, Fórsa said.

In January, the Labour Court recommended the re-establishment of that pay link. However, it has not been reinstated.

Fórsa warned of further strike action on June 16 and 17 if the issue is not resolved.

Perfusionist Rob Regan told RTÉ that all cardiac surgeries are to be cancelled today. This is set to impact 14 patients, including two children.

“It is the first time in the history of this country that cardiac surgery nationally is going to be cancelled because of the industrial relations actions of the HSE, the very organisation that is supposed to promote good health,” Mr Regan said.

Speaking at an opening of a wing at Mallow General Hospital, health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said that the HSE “continues to engage with all of the unions.”

In responding to Tuesday's strike, similar action would be taken to the response to the recent ambulance strike when “the system wrapped around and made sure that there were no events that day, thank goodness, and everybody contributed and supported all of the patient care that was necessary”, she said.

“We will take similar steps next week in respect of that issue. But the most important thing is always engagement.”

The health minister said that she was pleased that the ambulance service dispute “did then go to the Labour Court, and there was a Labour Court recommendation”.

“We’re always there to engage,” she said.

Mallow General Hospital extension

The extension at Mallow General Hospital brings its capacity from 71 to 95 beds.

This expansion represents a key investment in Mallow General Hospital, and it will strengthen patient flow across the region, improving access to inpatient services, and supporting more timely care for those who need it, the HSE said.

The additional single rooms also enhance privacy, dignity, and infection prevention standards, aligning with Sláintecare principles, the HSE said.

Speaking in Mallow on Monday, Ms Carroll MacNeill said: “This new extension at Mallow General Hospital represents real progress in how we deliver care across the South-West. By increasing capacity here, we are ensuring that patients can move out of acute hospitals sooner and continue their recovery in a more appropriate, less intensive setting closer to their families and communities.

“Seeing the impact of this investment first-hand today reinforces how vital hospitals like Mallow are to the communities they serve and to the overall resilience of our health service.”

The extension forms part of a broader expansion programme at Mallow General Hospital. 

Phase one, completed in 2023, delivered 48 single-occupancy rooms.

With this second phase now operational, the hospital is better equipped to meet growing demand while maintaining high standards of care in a modern environment, the HSE said.

Hospital's excellent use of funding

The health minister complimented the hospital on its excellent use of State funding, growing the hospital, and opening a medical assessment unit seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.

The hospital plays a critical role in the flow of patient care across the region, with patients moving from more acute wards in CUH and the Mercy University Hospital to recuperate in Mallow, she said.

One patient who moved recently from CUH told the minister that her recuperation is going very well in Mallow under skilled multi-disciplinary teams in a comfortable, calm, and quiet environment with light, space, and views over the mountain and green fields.

Sonya Cotter, the HSE manager for Cork North and East, said that the expansion is a major step forward for Mallow General Hospital and for healthcare delivery across the region.

“It enables us to treat more patients, reduce pressure on acute hospitals, and provide care in a modern, single-room environment that prioritises dignity, privacy, and safety,” she said.

“These additional beds will make a real difference to patient flow and access to care, strengthening the vital role Mallow plays within the wider health system.”

Mallow General Hospital manager Claire Crowley said: “Mallow General Hospital holds a special place in the hearts of the local community. It is more than a healthcare facility, it is a vital part of people’s lives.”