PSYCHIATRIC NURSES JOIN STRIKE ACTION

Medics walk out over staff crisis

PSYCHIATRIC medics yesterday announced they will join nurses and midwives in strike action.

Around 6,000 union members are set to walk out on three days next month in a dispute over the recruitment and retention of staff.

The Psychiatric Nurses’ Association general secretary Peter Hughes said the crisis is escalating on a monthly basis.

He added: “With a 40% increase in vacancies from November 2017 to September 2018, the level of vacancies is totally unsustainable and is seriously impacting on service delivery and patient care.

“The recruitment and retention of nurses within the healthcare system needs to be addressed with realistic proposals from Government as a matter of extreme urgency.” PNA members will refuse to work overtime on January 31 and February 5, 6 and 7.

This will then escalate to full strike action February 12, 13 and 14.

General nurses and midwives are to walk out on January 30 in a pay dispute.

Sinn Fein’s Louise O’reilly hit out at the Government’s “refusal” to tackle PNA concerns. She said: “Strike action by psychiatric nurses comes as no surprise given the Minister for Health’s failure to address the recruitment and retention crisis facing frontline services.

“A strike is the last thing psychiatric nurses, or indeed any healthcare worker wants to have to undertake, however, they have been left with no alternative.

“Nurses and midwives deserve our support.”