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You are > Home > Mental health staffing crisis escalates
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Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Mental health staffing crisis escalates
THE STAFFING crisis within the mental health services in the county has escalated this week following a ballot for industrial action by members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association.
They have agreed to withdraw their cooperation to defer holiday leave or provide additional cover as of next week.
Earlier this month the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) highlighted the staffing crisis within mental health services throughout the county as a result of a current staff embargo prohibiting the replacement of more than 20 staff, who have left the service or retired in the past 12 months.
Staffing levels within mental health services across the county have fallen by almost a quarter in the past year, according to the PNA, which said this week that the current staffing of 88 nurses was now expected to maintain the same level of service despite being down 23 staff members.
The crisis situation has now escalated and led to members of the PNA serving a notice of industrial action on the HSE following a ballot for industrial action agreed by an overwhelming majority. PNA representative Noel Giblin explained that 23 staff had been lost through retirements and that they “simply have not been replaced”.
“Every effort has been made to maintain the services, staff have agreed to defer holiday leave and work extra hours to attempt to maintain services and most importantly to maintain client care at a high standard. Everyone agrees staff have been very committed and have work tirelessly to attempt to provide mental health services to the people of Roscommon,” he further explained.
The PNA added that working conditions were now “unsafe for staff due to the reduced staffing numbers and the Health Services Executives refusal to recruit staff”.
At a recent meeting, the PNA said, staff expressed major concerns for their safety and the safety of clients, where nursing numbers were sometimes half the required number.
The industrial action notice served on management states that as of Monday next, March 15th, staff will refuse to defer holiday leave and will refuse to work additional shifts and will only work their contracted hours.
It was also agreed that nurses will refuse to take up duty in unsafe environments and will request management to take steps to make units and wards safe, prior to taking up duty. Members will refuse to work in units, which are not adequately staffed.
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