Industrial action by over 8,000 psychiatric nurses appears set to escalate over the coming days.
The nurses have taken action over a new compensation scheme brought in by the Health Service Executive (HSE) for psychiatric nurses assaulted at work, which they say is totally inadequate.
The industrial action has in recent days led to the closure of some beds for acutely ill patients.
Des Kavanagh, general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), said last night the action is likely to escalate this week when he recommends to members at a meeting tomorrow that they begin refusing to be redeployed from community based psychiatric services to keep acute psychiatric services up and running.
The nurses, who are members of the PNA and Siptu, have refused to do overtime, attend non-essential meetings and accompany patients to mental health tribunals since the action began last Wednesday.
Their refusal to work overtime has resulted in the closure of six beds at an acute psychiatric unit in Dublin’s St Vincent’s Hospital, the closure of a male admissions unit at Tallaght hospital on Saturday evening, the closure of an acute psychiatric unit to admissions in Naas General Hospital, and the closure of community hostels in West Cork and Dublin.
Mr Kavanagh said the ban on overtime was highlighting the serious inadequacies in staffing levels throughout the mental health services.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) said yesterday the industrial action was severely hindering its ability to respond to patients who need urgent care and admission, and said it had forced it to close day care and community services, as well as beds.
The HSE, which has threatened to cut nurses’ pay if they continue with their action, insists the compensation scheme it introduced was approved by the Government and was put in place on the basis of a Labour Court recommendation.
Schizophrenia Ireland and Mental Health Ireland have both expressed concern about the ongoing dispute and have urged a speedy end.
Meanwhile, Labour's health spokeswoman Jan O'Sullivan said patients will suffer as a result of an escalated dispute and called on Minister for Health Mary Harney to invervene.
"It is perfectly reasonable that those who have to treat patients who are seriously disturbed should be entitled to a proper compensation scheme in the case of injury," she said.
"Urgent negotiations are now required to bring the dispute to an end and Minister Harney should take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that talks begin."