The new "five star" maternity unit at Cork University Hospital will not be viable unless the HSE South delivers the number of midwives necessary to cater for the anticipated 8,000 annual deliveries in the area, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said yesterday.
On Friday, INO midwife and nurse members informed local management of their unavailability for transfer to the new maternity services set to open on the grounds of CUH next month pending agreement on "safe staffing" levels.
The organisation says this was in response to a breakdown in trust with management of the HSE South and their continued attempt to replace trained midwives with pupil midwives and care assistants.
Yesterday INO industrial relations officer Patsy Doyle called on the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, to delay her visit to open the unit until the organisation and other unions reach agreement on contentious issues.
"We are calling on the Minister to delay her visit until the INO and other unions have reached agreement with the HSE on delivery of an adequate number of midwives and other staff to preside over the most important journey a person ever makes.
"The HSE South have promised the Cork public 'a new age in maternity care' in time for the general election. The maternity unit is decorated beautifully but it will not be clinically viable until the HSE have delivered on the number of midwives necessary."
A spokesman for the HSE South said yesterday that management was committed to providing safe maternity care and that women currently pregnant deserve certainty about the opening date.