Psychiatric nurses have communicated to the HSE their plans to engage in industrial action due to concerns about staff shortages in mental health services and hospitals throughout the country. A recent vote saw 96% of a 6,000-member Psychiatric Nurses’ Association supporting the idea of industrial action, even going so far as to include strikes. However, the format of this action, scheduled to commence on July 18th, is yet to be decided.
The union’s general secretary, Peter Hughes, indicated that the overwhelming vote in support was a testament to the members’ discontent with the current staffing levels. Hughes highlighted over 700 vacancies in mental health services that are critically affecting service delivery, front line service depletion and hinder the development of new services.
He drew attention to remarks by John Farrelly, the Chief Executive of the Mental Health Commission (MHC), made during the release of the MHC’s annual report. According to Farrelly, several acute inpatient centre providers, particularly the HSE, are challenged to meet set standards in staffing, care planning and risk management.
Hughes found these remarks troubling, especially considering they pertained to a period prior to the current recruitment freeze by the HSE. He went on to note that since November, the situation that the MHC described has actually worsened.
Responding last week to the PNA vote, which was still ongoing at that time, the HSE CEO, Bernard Gloster, acknowledged understanding the union’s worries. He was confident that substantial discussions and potential intervention from the WRC would aid in handling the circumstances.
Hughes hopes the three weeks’ notice before action will allow enough time for communication but cautioned that there is a critical point in our mental health services that needs to be acknowledged by the HSE.