ICU nurses in Limerick suspend industrial action

INMO says agreement reached on solutions to low staffing numbers 

The INMO's Mary Fogarty speaking at the nurses' protest outside the University Maternity Hospital in Limerick. Picture: Liam Burke/Press 22

Nurses at the intensive care unit (ICU) in University Hospital Limerick have suspended industrial action following an agreement with the hospital.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said agreement was reached on solutions to low staffing numbers in the ICU.

Assistant director of relations Mary Fogarty said a ballot will follow on terms reached through the Workplace Relations Commission.

“The agreement reached is a temporary one to address the staffing shortfalls that is impacting both patient and staff safety in the ICU,” she said. 

“Measures included in the agreement include a commitment to ensure that at least 16 nurses will be rostered in for both day and night duty for the 12-bed ward, nurses who work in the ICU will be facilitated to take their annual leave and assurances have been made that additional ICU nurses will be on-site in June and July to bolster the current staffing complement.”

She said ICU nurses have been “under intolerable pressure” while caring for very sick patients.

A UHL spokesman welcomed this “significant step” towards solutions.

“We expect a significant number of new nursing staff will take up posts in our ICU before the end of the third quarter of this year,” he said. “These new appointments follow successful bespoke local and international recruitment campaigns as well as transfers of suitably qualified nursing staff.”

UHL continues to deploy additional advanced nurse practitioner and clinical skills facilitator resources to support the ICU.

“We wish to reassure members of the public that any patient admitted to the intensive care unit or high-dependency unit will continue to be cared for in a compassionate and safe manner and where patient needs will remain at the centre of care delivery,” the spokesman said. “We continue to operate 12 ICU beds and 16 HDU beds in the critical care block.”

He added that one-to-one care has been maintained.