Nurses in Mayo ED serve notice of industrial action

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has served notice of industrial action on HSE management at Mayo University Hospital. Nurses working in the Emergency Department in Mayo will begin industrial action on November 3.

INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations for the West, Colm Porter said: “Following a balloting process and proceedings at the Workplace Relations Commission to resolve staffing issues in the Mayo University Hospital emergency department, our members feel that recent actions of management do not demonstrate a genuine attempt to protect their safety at work or indeed provide safe clinical areas or safe staffing for patients. Regrettably, they are now forced to engage in industrial action in pursuance of safe staffing.

“There is currently a deficit of over 10 whole time equivalent (WTE) nurses in the Emergency Department at Mayo University Hospital, with a further 28.5 WTE nurses required to meet the safe staffing levels outlined in the HSE’s own Safe Staffing Framework for Emergency Departments. Our members are working in a department that is persistently overcrowded and chronically understaffed. Our members are very disappointed that it has come to this, but unfortunately, they feel the risks being posed to patients due to ongoing understaffing problems have become too significant and that their concerns are not being taken seriously.

“Mayo University Hospital has been consistently overcrowded since January with over 3,577 patients on trolleys so far this year. Attempts to downplay the severity of the situation in Mayo by the Minister for Health and hospital management in recent days are contrary to the very real lived experiences of our members and the patients they are trying to provide safe care to.

“Nurses in Mayo University Hospital’s emergency department are advocating for patients who deserve safe staffing levels. They are now reminding the HSE as their employer that they are obligated to provide staff with a healthy and safe workplace. Hospital management have failed to ensure safe levels of nurse staffing for far too long.

“It is disappointing that nurses have had to go to such lengths to highlight their concerns for patient safety and their own mental and physical wellbeing. Our members in Mayo are coping with excessive workloads, yet they are still determined to have their concerns heard and to continue advocating on behalf of their patients.”

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