Des McSweeney: It’s time to focus on what matters — people

The battle to get a new €15m acute psychiatric unit open at Cork University Hospital (CUH) remains deadlocked. All bar four out of 42 nurses have voted not to transfer to the new facility on the grounds that the HSE has not fully addressed their clinical concerns. One of those nurses, Des McSweeney, highlighted his worries in an Irish Examiner article on March 16. For a while, he was put off duty with pay. Despite a no vote, Des is concerned that nurses will be overruled by the Labour Court, where the dispute is now headed.

When I first spoke out in the Irish Examiner on March 16, I was motivated by a concern for the wellbeing of people in need of mental health services. I hoped that by speaking out, I would not be a witness to another disaster in the HSE that could cost someone their life.

In my naivety, I thought the HSE would listen and that clinical issues would be finally addressed, paving the way for our new acute mental health unit to open, a unit, which, if properly staffed, can play a vital role in delivery of services to people in Cork City and county.