Psychiatric nurses work to rule at UHG

Psychiatric nurses in University Hospital Galway (UHG) will begin industrial action in the form of a ‘work to rule’ from this week in a bid to get the Health Service Executive (HSE) back to the negotiating table over staffing and safety issues.

Nearly 90% of staff in the Galway West Mental Health Services voted in favour of industrial action at the acute psychiatric unit and their union, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), served notice on the HSE that action will start on Tuesday.

The current unrest has been brewing since the beginning of the year but came to a head last month when 10 staff due to begin their early morning shift refused to clock in due to safety concerns. They pointed to the fact that there had been 36 assaults on staff since early January by patients with challenging conditions, some of whom require one-on-one care.

The impasse was temporarily resolved when management agreed to appoint extra staff in the interim and take part in talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).

Those talks took place a week later between the union and the HSE but broke down after a threat was issued to discipline those nurses who did not work despite being rostered for duty, according to the PNA.

Following their withdrawal from the table, a ballot for industrial action was then issued.

Union spokesman Derek Cunningham said the work to rule means that nurses will do nothing above and beyond their rostered duties.

“It should not affect patients but it will definitely put pressure on the managers of the unit. We reserve the right to decide on how to escalate the action, right up to a full strike according to how the HSE react,” he stated.

“We are calling on the Minister, Kathleen Lynch, to intervene to try and avoid this and get the HSE to take action about the very serious problems affecting this unit.”

More permanent staff are desperately needed as well as an increase in community services to reduce the need for such high admissions to the unit.

Staff at the 45 bed acute psychiatric unit at UHG have been raising concerns over patient care following the closure of the acute unit at Ballinasloe. The decision by the psychiatric nurses is fully justified, insists Councillor Mairéad Farrell (SF).

“Not only have there have been 36 known assaults on staff at UHG this year, a mental health commission report identified serious issues with the facilities available in the acute psychiatric unit and a report on an inspection carried out in February has not been made available to staff despite several requests.

“The staffing and safety issues at the unit had reached levels so precarious that the nurses felt compelled to stage a walk-out.”

She pointed out that the Minister for Health made a commitment that there would be an additional 44 permanent staff allocated to the Mental Health Service in Galway as well as a new 50 bed acute unit in Galway, yet this has not been delivered.