Calls for Minister to take action over Nurses strike

LOUTH TD Gerry Adams has called on the Minister for Health to take action after nurses last week voted for strike action

Deputy Adams said; ‘Both the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association have voted overwhelmingly for strike action. This will come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the difficult working conditions of nurses.’

‘Our public hospitals have been significantly damaged through bed closures, downgrades and a deep crisis in recruitment and retention of staff. This is against the backdrop of serious reductions in community healthcare provision which diverts more and more people towards already over crowded hospitals to access the care which they should receive in a community setting. They indicated to me that in the event of the ballot being carried all non life saving services will be withdrawn for 24 hour periods, there would be no normal ward services, all outpatient appointments and elective surgeries would be cancelled and there would be no respite services.

Councillor Ruairí Ó Murchú added: ‘I am aware Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda was the site of a pilot project ‘ Taskforce on Nurse Staffing’ which demonstrated that with additional investment in nursing staff mortality levels in the hospital decreased by 50%, recruitment issues were addressed, patients spent less time in hospital and they received more timely medical interventions. What needs to happen now is the implementation of the report of the Taskforce on Nurse Staffing.’