HSE patient concerns as action looms

THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has said it is “seriously concerned” about the effect a proposed industrial action in the health sector, due to commence next week, could have on patient safety.

Thousands of members of unions Impact and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation are scheduled to undertake a work-to-rule, introduce a ban on co-operation with change and reform plans, and a refusal to carry out duties associated with vacant posts in protest at pay cuts by the Government following the budget last month.

Similar industrial action has already begun in other parts of the public service, and will take place in other areas in the days and weeks ahead.

The HSE on Tuesday sought unions to exempt the health sector from the industrial action in the public service. This request was refused yesterday.

In a letter to the HSE corporate employee relations service, Impact national secretary Kevin Callinan said health was the biggest sector in the public service and “the idea that it would be exempt from a public service trade union campaign is not credible”.

“We are endeavouring to minimise the effect of industrial action on patients and clients, and the initial phase has been designed with this in mind,” he said.

The HSE last night said it had sought formal intervention from the Labour Relations Commission following the decision of the unions not to grant it a derogation from the scope of the industrial action.

Earlier, in a letter sent to all HSE staff, the organisation’s national director of human resources, Sean McGrath, said that while they had a right to protest over the pay cuts, the planned industrial action should not put patients at risk.

He also signalled that the health authority wanted employees to co-operate with the implementation of change and reforms.

He said the HSE, as a service provider, was required not simply to deliver a level of service to its patients and clients, but to change and improve the way services were delivered.

In its letter to the union, the HSE said in the event of industrial action going ahead it would “take all necessary measures to protect patient safety and all other statutory obligations”.

Informed sources said the over-riding concern for the organisation was patient safety, and that it would consider whatever measures necessary pursuant to this, including closure of units and disciplining of staff.