Industrial action at Naas Hospital suspended after 'lengthy talks'

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has suspended its industrial action in Naas General Hospital.

It follows lengthy talks with management, which intensified on Friday evening.

It has suspended the work-to-rule since 8pm on Friday.

The INMO has secured the immediate backfilling of 60 vacant nursing posts and has also secured an additional thirty new posts to cover additional services.

In a statement released this evening, an INMO spokesperson said:  “The union has also secured an additional thirty new posts to cover additional services. 

“A full review of all nurse staffing will begin at the hospital this week, against the safe staffing framework. 

“The nurses in Naas General Hospital appreciate the immense amount of support they received from the public in Naas and the wider Kildare area this week, particularly during lunchtime protests.

“The Dispute Committee at Naas General Hospital have recommended that members be balloted on proposals next week.”

Before the industrial action, they said there had been a failure to fill maternity-leave vacancies and to increase staffing to meet an over 25 per cent increase in Emergency Department attendance at the hospital in the past three years.

At the protest, INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha explained that the “very busy” hospital had seen a “massive increase” in emergency department attendances.

The area, which is seeing population growth generally, also contains nursing homes that are increasingly dealing with people from Dublin who rely on Naas General Hospital when they become unwell.

She told the Press Association: “All in all, the staffing has kept pace with the population and the demand on services in the hospital.”

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said the issue has been going on for years, leading to patients being cared for in inappropriate areas.

The INMO says highly skilled theatre nurses are owed hundreds of hours of back pay.

“Nurses do not feel the care they can deliver can be delivered safely – and that’s a real risk.”

Ms Ni Sheaghdha said the INMO wanted the HSE to deal with the issue, adding: “We want the employer to make real proposals that we can put to members that we can say there is a likelihood that this will resolve this dispute.

Zoe Cleary, who works as a clinical facilitator in the emergency department, said the issues at the unit involve uncovered maternity leave and leaving staff not being replaced.

“Our staff are on their hands and knees.

“They’re expected to do workloads of multiple additional people

“There’s huge burnout, there’s huge stress, and there’s a huge problem with retaining staff.”

Ruth O’Connor, a staff nurse in theatre and endoscopy, said members had become “quite cynical” about the approach taken by the HSE after highlighting issues for a “long, long time”.

“None of us wants to be out here.

“We want to be in there looking out for our patients, but the standard of care is being eroded through no fault of our own.”

Ms O’Connor said local people were “anxious” coming into the emergency department because they know “the level of service is so compromised” by staffing issues.

“Not only are we being stretched very thin, but we’re being asked to extend our services with the staff we have – which is preposterous.”

She said: “This is not about pay – it is purely about safety and dignity.

“We’re not able to provide patients the dignity that patients deserve.”