This article is from page 15 of the 2008-05-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 15 JPG
PSYCHIATRIC services in Clare are coming under pressure as a com- bination of staff shortages and indus- trial action by psychiatric nurses has left many of the county’s psychiatric facilities “unsafe”’.
SIPTU National Nursing Official, Louise O’Reilly says her union and the Psychiatric Nurses Association are likely to escalate their dispute when the joint strike meets later today.
The dispute 1s over a compensation scheme for members injured as the result of assaults at work.
The work to rule action already un- dertaken by the nurses has impacted on Clare, a county with a psychiatric nursing shortfall of between 16 to 20 LOD RNTorSe
The nursing shortage in the county has been attributed to a difficulty in recruitment. This problem had been solved with overtime in the past and the good will of the staff.
An average of six to seven psychi- atric nurses work overtime in Clare everyday. This number reached an
all-time high of 17 on one occasion.
Work to rule means that staff are now being redirected from the com- munity services to cover in patient services in the county as the posi- tions affected by the nurse shortages and sick leave go unfilled.
A source close to the service said the staff welfare and patient safety couldn’t be guaranteed.
“The vulnerable groups who rely OMAN oMON EDEN DIMM Ms onnOlNomYo better than this – nurses likewise want jobs, not overtime. Under- staffing also jeopardises safety for patients and staff alike. That is why SIPTU members rejected the ‘gener- ous’ HSE compensation scheme for injuries suffered as the result of as- sault at work by 91 per cent,” said Ms O’Reilly.
“It was a very clear message to the HSE but it still does not seem to have registered with them. Our members have given us a very clear mandate and we remain strong and deter- mined to secure a decent scheme which does not treat nurses as sec- ond-class citizens.”