INMO serves industrial action notice over staffing at new Killarney nursing home

Union says proposed staffing arrangements fall short of safe care requirements at the new facility

The Irish Examiner previously reported that HSE South West was hoping to have the Killarney unit operational by the end of this month. File picture: Jerry O'Sullivan, Radio Kerry

The INMO has served notice of industrial action at a yet-to-open nursing home in Killarney over proposed staffing levels.

The union said its members are “dissatisfied” with the proposed staffing levels at the new home and cited a “lack of clarity” regarding proposed reconfigurations of units within the service.

The home is one of seven facilities due to open under a partnership between the HSE and the Equisisk consortium.

While none of the homes has opened to date, the Irish Examiner previously reported that HSE South West was hoping to have the Killarney unit operational by the end of this month.

Regarding the proposed industrial action, the INMO’s industrial relations executive, Kathryn Courtney, said members were “deeply concerned” that the HSE’s staffing proposal for the unit “falls short of sufficient staffing required to deliver effective and appropriate safe care on day and night duty”.

She said a “significant gap” exists between staffing levels at similar facilities and what is being proposed in Killarney, adding that the union has made multiple representations to the HSE “over many months” regarding the proposed staffing configuration at the home.

“Sadly this has not been forthcoming, and our members have been left with no choice but to take industrial action in order to seek clarity and to ensure staffing levels are safe for patients and for staff,” Ms Courtney said.

She added that the union remains open to engagement with the HSE regarding the proposed staffing levels.

The HSE has been contacted for comment.

To date, none of the proposed seven nursing homes under the HSE-Equisisk partnership has opened.

Health regulator HIQA had previously requested that further works take place on the Killarney site following its initial inspection, though the HSE had expressed hope that the home would still be able to open by the end of June.