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NURSES WILL STRIKE for four hours next week over what they say are “appalling conditions” for patients at the emergency department of Limerick’s Mid Western Regional Hospital.
The staff members say a continuing recruitment freeze, closures of hospital beds throughout the region, and budget cuts have led to “clinical safety risks” at the unit. Nurses’ union the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation also cited a lack of staff to support new consultant posts, and diversion of funding from other areas to pay for these posts.
The union has called on HIQA to inspect the hospital and assess how overcrowding is affecting patient care.
The stoppage was announced this morning by INMO after members voted for industrial action last week. The union said it would keep a nursing presence in the emergency department during the action, which will take place next Wednesday afternoon, to respond to any “unforeseen developments”.
Mary Fogarty, a spokesperson for INMO, said: “Nurses working at the hospital have repeatedly raised their concerns in respect of the clinical safety issues with both HIQA and Senior HSE Management. Unfortunately, due to the inability of both bodies to address the deplorable clinical environment now visible daily at the hospital, nurses are driven to publicly highlight the extremely serious situation through industrial action.”
The HSE could not be immediately reached for comment this morning.
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Notwithstanding the fact that I have sympathy for anyone stuck in an ED, I feel for the doctors trying to run an overcrowded emergency department without nursing support.
I feel for them all trying to run an overcrowded emergency department without any Government support!
……. and then you have the poor misfortunates turning up on that day , not by choice remember its an EMERGENCY DEPT., with no support for 4 hours because someone thinks its a great plan to pull the plug to highlight difficulties. Smart !
Having experienced the A&E fiasco in Limerick personally in recent times the people on strike have my full support.
The nurses & doctors in the ED dept at Limerick Regional do an amazing job under very hard conditions. There has been a huge increase in people coming to the dept since Ennis & Nenagh closed their emergency depts at nights & weekends. I would defy anyone to put up with the conditions they have to work under. It isnt safe for patients or them .
Ed’s are mostly Nurse led nonetheless the situation in most hospitals is reaching critical levels but perhaps this is what the HSE and dept of health are aiming for, blocking agency staff from covering positions and the recruitment ban won’t allow for replacing retiring nurses, so next thing is.. close the ED.
Eh… Mostly nurse led? Can you point out any conditions presenting to the ED where nurses don’t require a doctors decision? Barring minor injuries (which is run by orthopaedics) and faking it, which should be seen by a doctor just in case?
The nurses in ED do the original triage without a doctor. In most cases it’s the nurse that will take the patiets history, make the original diagnosis, fill up the charts etc. The doctor more often than not will double check the nurses diagnosis, sign off on them and apply any medication.
Yes, nurses do triage, but in the ED proper it is the doctor who investigates, examines, prescribes and ultimately decides the course of action. So claiming doctors merely sign off on nurses work is… Slightly incorrect
Makes the ESB union ballot to strike look despicable. They should be ashamed. All the best to nurses and their colleagues.
The nurse in charge, generally a CNM 1 or 2 takes charge of an ED department, she or he makes the decisions re staffing, re beds re everything else. The doctor treats the patient surely and all to do with patient care, re admission or referring on or to discharge but ultimately the running of the dept on a particular day or night is due to the CNM in charge. Doctors don’t generally get involve in the staffing of, in the stocking up of, in the general running of things. A consultant is usually the HEAD of such a department generally, it is true, but they are not always on the floor, If a Major Incident Plan is called into play it will be the CNM who will run the show.
A lack of nurses on the floor of the ED will definitely compromise patient safety it has to be said.
Major Incident Plan? Come on. Any major accident is led by the consultant. Anyone who has a meaningful clinical role in hospitals knows that. The nursing staff do a VITAL role but just because they shout the loudest does not make their decision right. Bottom line – nurses have made a decision to strike, leaving already harassed doctors to struggle on their own.
Oh how shocking !!!! I thought Fine Gael promised to fix all Irelands health problems in their 5 point plan…chuckle chuckle, stupid Irish people
Do you expect it to happen overnight?
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