Nurses seek the return of ‘twilight overtime’

EFFORTS will be made this week to find a resolution to a dispute between hospital nurses and doctors over who should take patients’ bloods or discharge them.

One study found that reassigning tasks such as taking blood samples, inserting cannulae and carrying out some discharge duties, could save up to €1m per year per hospital.

In addition, under EU regulations, hospital risk fines for rostering doctors over 48 hours a week.

Nurses want the savings to be used to restore ‘twilight overtime’ payments – a payment in respect of work between 6pm and 8pm – which went under Haddington Road. Junior doctors would feel the difference in their pay packets as they would lose overtime by no longer carrying out those tasks. The dispute is expected to go to arbitration.