11/07/2016

Hospital Staff To Discuss Industrial Action Over HSE Failures

Staff at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick are to meet to discuss taking industrial action over failures by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said midwives at the hospital are "deeply frustrated" by failures to address notified clinical governance concerns flagged in January 2015.

In addition, an agreement brokered at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) in November 2015 aimed at addressing staffing levels has not been implemented.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer Mary Fogarty said staff believe the HSE "has only paid lip service" to the WRC implementation process since last November.

She added the organisation has "reneged on a review of a need for additional porters and failed to date to allocate additional clerical staff and health care assistants."

"In tandem the hospital has high elective induction activity (39% in January 2016) placing unbearable pressures on the service that still has significant midwife staffing deficits," she said.

"Our members have nothing personally to gain by speaking out except securing a safe, quality and appropriately staffed maternity service for mothers and babies. It is of significant concern to frontline midwives that the ongoing clinical risks at the hospital due to a shortage of staff and high elective induction rates are left unaddressed.

"Midwives are disillusioned with the HSE and its failure to listen and act in a timely fashion and put in place robust governance and safe staffing arrangements."

(LM)

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