Strike cancels 14,000 health appointments
Five more days of chaos loom if dispute goes on
HEALTH services had up to 14,000 cancellations of appointments yesterday as medical scientists took to the picket line over ‘huge frustration and burnout’ caused by pay and recruitment issues.
The strike action by around 1,800 members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA) meant routine laboratory services were withdrawn from 8am-8pm, affecting hospital and GP services. If no progress is made in talks, five more days of action are planned for May 24, 25, 31, June 1 and 2.
Negotiations with the HSE and Department of Health over issues including pay inequality and career progression failed to bring about a resolution.
The HSE’s national director of Acute Services Liam Wood said yesterday: ‘Unfortunately the action will cause widespread disruption, because lab services are critical to the effective and safe running of hospitals.
‘The impact is significant. In terms of planned surgery, there will be significant cancellations, all bar very urgent cancer and transplant surgeries and one or two other exceptions will go ahead.’
HSE chief Paul Reid said the strike action was having a ‘significant impact’ on healthcare.
MLSA chairman Kevin O’Boyle said medical scientists did not want to strike, but there is ‘huge frustration and burnout because of a severe recruitment and retention problem which have been ignored by the HSE and Department of Health for many years’. ‘Up to 20% of approved medical scientist posts are unfilled in public hospitals and this problem is worsening. Medical scientists carry out identical work to other colleagues in hospital laboratories, yet are paid on average 8% less,’ he said.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in the Dáil yesterday that he recognises the ‘hugely important’ work carried out by medical scientists, particularly during the pandemic and their role in the health service. He said the issue is before the Workplace Relations Commission and that all parties should continue in these discussions. A spokesman for the Department of Health said the department ‘remains open to engagement’ with the MLSA.