Union vote threatens health service reform

Thousands of health service staff have voted for industrial action in a move that threatens to disrupt Government plans to reform the health services.

Up to 15,000 Impact union members, who work in management and administrative grades in health boards, voted by 88 per cent to 12 per cent to endorse industrial action from Monday, December 13th.

Responding to the news, the chairman of the interim Health Service Executive (HSE), Mr Kevin Kelly said he was struggling to see what the real issues were, suggesting there must be a misunderstanding.

He said there would be no big bang when the HSE takes over from the health boards on January 1st . "We have just sent out a communication to all the staff that will be part of the HSE. It is a very detailed document and I think that when they read that they will understand that we are moving to a very safe orderly transition."

Mr Kelly said there were issues around the appointment at local health office level and regional level. "I indicated to Impact last Friday evening that we would take all those issues off the table and instead I would focus on the appointments I will be making on the corporate headquarters in Naas."

The Tanaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney, said she was disappointed with the outcome of the ballot and said it was ironic, coming as it did, 24 hours after the Department recieved an additonal €1 billion in funding for next year.

She called on both sides to talk, saying that "everybody who works in the health service is going to be empowered under this new unified, modern structure relevant to 2004… rather than the structure that was put in place in 1970.

Ms Harney said while health service staff had absolutely nothing to fear from the reforms:   "I am determined and the Government is determined the momentum will not be lost. It's too important for the patients and they have to be our focus, and they certainly will be my focus."

According to the union the decision will block the introduction of new administrative structures due to come into force on January 1st and results from concern among staff over work locations, job security and  working conditions.

Mr Kevin Callinan, Impact secretary, says management and administrative employees are angry at the uncertainty hanging over their careers following plans to abolish health boards at the end of the year. Under this plan the day-to-day running of the health service will transfer to the  new Health Service Executive.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that the chief executive officer designate of the HSE, Prof Aidan Halligan, would not take up the post.

The union said it would write to health service employers today giving three weeks notice that its members would not be co-operating with establishing the HSE.

According to Mr Callinan: "January will bring chaos over who is responsible for payroll, budgets, information technology, and other core functions because old structures will be abolished before new ones are properly in place."

Referring to the decision by Prof Halligan not to take up the post of chief executive, Mr Callinan said "you know there's something badly wrong  when the chief executive walks away from a €400,000-a-year job, just six  weeks before he's supposed to start."

Mr Kelly said that from his dealings with Prof Halligan family concerns were the reason why he had not taken up the post. He added that the Tanaiste would be announcing an interim HSE chief executive very soon.