Ambulance centre: The Health Service Executive (HSE) has stopped paying four ambulance control centre staff who took sick leave and who claim their illness was brought on by work-related stress.
This is despite the fact that several doctors, including a HSE staff doctor, certified the men as suffering from work-related stress.
Health service management, however, does not accept this and as ambulance controllers are entitled to a maximum of 12 weeks' sick leave a year, the HSE stopped paying them once this period expired.
It is claimed, however, on behalf of the men that the HSE usually continues paying staff beyond this 12-week cut-off point if their illness is work-related or is a result of an accident in the workplace.
The men all work at an ambulance control station in Townsend Street, Dublin, where ambulance control for fire brigade and HSE ambulances is based. When the centre was established in 1998 the idea was to bring the fire brigade and HSE ambulance control services together to provide an integrated service. In reality, however, both sets of staff still work separately.
The HSE ambulance controllers on sick leave claim the result has been a stressful working environment.
Dr Paul Heslin, a GP and consultant in managing workplace stress, who has seen three of the four men who are on sick leave, said in his view the men were "without a doubt" suffering from work-related stress. What HSE management were doing in refusing to accept this was "dangerous", he claimed.
"These three have 38 years' service between them. They have young families and are experiencing profound distress having had their wages cut off just weeks before Christmas.
"The HSE is willing to waste millions on computer systems but will not support these staff who are vulnerable, two weeks before Christmas," he added.
The HSE, in a statement, said it had clearly defined regulations and procedures regarding sick leave arrangements, which were adhered to at all times.
"It is not the policy of the HSE to comment on individual cases except to say that all industrial relations matters are dealt with through the appropriate channels," it said.
A review of the command and control system for ambulance dispatch in the Dublin region carried out by management consultant Conal Devine, details of which were published in the Health Supplement last May, found patients were being put at risk by the lack of a single system for dispatching all emergency ambulances.
The HSE said a working group was reviewing the recommendations of the report.