Recruitment for Kerry's mental health service 'a disaster' as nurses left 'languishing on panels'

Donie Doody of Siptu said there was a real risk that some of the nurses on the Kerry panels would emigrate and find work elsewhere.

Kerry's mental health service is recruiting newly qualified nurses who are then being left “languishing on panels” at a time when the sector is under huge pressure, the union representing mental health nurses has claimed.

In Kerry, there was a long tradition of mental health nursing and attracting new recruits to the sector is not a problem, according to Donie Doody of Siptu. 

However, the recruitment process has become tied up in bureaucracy and has effectively stalled, Mr Doody said.

“The recruitment of nursing staff and the filling of vacancies has become a disaster because of the procrastination by management in the HSE,” Mr Doody said.

For the past 14 months there has been a shortage of staff in the Kerry mental health service, he said.

“Staff are being continuously requested to come in and work when they are off duty and during their holidays,” the union representative said.

This was leading to “burnout”, “frustration” and it was also adding to cost.

“Overtime is having to be paid to staff to come into work.

“This is complete mismanagement as there are nurses languishing on panels. Young nurses who have qualified are waiting for months to be recruited.” 

Bureaucracy within the HSE region was at fault, he said.

“There is an absence of local autonomy in Kerry and local management is not being given the go-ahead,” he said.

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There was now a real risk that some of the nurses on the Kerry panels would emigrate and find work elsewhere, he said.

Meanwhile, the 37.5-hour week has yet to be implemented for Kerry's 180 mental health nurses although it came into effect for workers in other health services in the county and in the Cork service in July.

“The 37.5-hour week should have been implemented from July 1 in the Kerry Mental Health Services. We have agreed this with local management. Other health services have implemented the reduction in hours here in Kerry — and indeed in the Cork Mental Health Service,” Mr Doody said.

The HSE has been asked for comment.