NURSES UNION REASSURES PATIENTS OVER PORTIUNCULA PROTEST

Date Published: 17-Nov-2008

The Irish Nurses Organisation is reassuring patients at Portiuncula hospital in Ballinalsoe that they will not be affected by industrial action at the hospital, which began today.

The INO claims the action is as a result of the wrongful suspension of two long-serving senior nurse managers.

The HSE West says that there was no INO ballot seeking the re-instatement of the two staff, however the INO is disputing this and says a secret ballot was undertaken.

Industrial action began today with a ban on INO members’ acting up to Senior Nurse Management positions.

A lunchtime protest will then be held outside Portiuncula Hospital tomorrow from 1pm to 2pm.

The INO says unless the issue is resolved, industrial action will escalate from Monday December 1st.