Industrial action at Kildare's main hospital 'will run indefinitely'

Nurses at Naas General Hospital have started industrial action from today and they say it will run indefinitely.

The action is being taken, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, because of “significant staffing deficits in the hospital.”

The action had been suspended following an agreement reached with HSE management on February 13 after receiving commitments aimed at addressing the issue.

But they claim the staffing proposals have not been implemented within the agreed timeframe “because of the ongoing impact of health service recruitment restrictions, leaving members with no choice but to move forward with industrial action considering serious safety concerns for patients and staff.”

According to the union, safe activity levels are being maintained at NGH “in order to match available staffing levels” which are significantly reduced because of the recruitment issue.

INMO industrial relations officer for NGH Karen McCann claimed nurses are left with no alternative but industrial action “to safeguard patient safety and protect their own health and safety in the workplace.” She added: “Nurses cannot reasonably be expected to shoulder the significant risks arising from inadequate staffing levels, including risks to patient safety and to their own professional registration and livelihoods.”

She added nurses can’t be responsible for adverse incidents or clinical events arising from staffing levels.

“The responsibility for ensuring that staffing levels are safe and that services operate in accordance with applicable national standards rests with hospital management.

“Management is keeping the hospital in a constant state of emergency escalation by placing additional beds, without any regular staffing allocation, throughout the hospital.

“This is recognised as unsafe, temporary and requires immediate deescalation.”

She said the action called for management to significantly alter activity levels to ensure that the number of patients matches the number of staff who can safely care for them in all clinical areas (and) requires management to warn patients and the public of the serious safety concerns of nurses.

Ms McCann said management have also been called on to avail of all possible healthcare alternatives in the area to reduce the burden on the hospital.