Galway psychiatric nurses ballot for strike action

Psychiatric nurses in Galway are currently balloting for industrial action after passing a motion of no confidence in the HSE Area Director of Nursing last Thursday night.

An emotional meeting at the Clayton Hotel heard that short staffing at the Acute Unit at University Hospital Galway (UHG) had caused a crisis which meant that nurses were unable to provide optimum patient care.

The nurses could be on strike as early as Monday week, July 28, after almost 100 members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) unanimously backed the no confidence motion.

Staff based at UHG told the meeting that they were determined to take industrial action if the HSE failed to provide sufficient staff for the acute unit.

“The HSE needs to take the concerns of our nurses very seriously. These nurses have repeatedly articulated their concerns for the safety of the UHG unit as currently organised, the lack of appropriate facilities and the danger this poses for both patients and staff,” said Des Kavanagh, General Secretary of the PNA.

His colleague, Noel Giblin, said that some PNA members were crying at the meeting when they spoke of staff shortages at the Acute Unit.

“People said that the service was being allowed to deteriorate before their eyes,” said Mr Giblin.

A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed that the unit at UHG had increased its capacity to 45 beds since February. She said that 12 nursing staff had been redeployed from the former acute unit in Ballinasloe, while a further eight new posts have been approved.

“Staffing levels in acute units are not static and will increase and decrease on a weekly basis based on the numbers of patients, the nature of their illness and whether they require one to one nursing support,” she said.

“We are surprised and disappointed by the statement from the PNA which suggests a lack of support from HSE management,” said the spokesperson.

Read more in this week’s Connacht Sentinel