AGENCY NURSES who have not made themselves available for work for the HSE following a reduction in their rates have been warned by Minister for Health James Reilly that costs have to be cut across the board.
Speaking to The Irish Times yesterday, he said while he was very sympathetic towards people who found themselves on reduced means, this was something that was happening across all sectors.
“The reality is that if the HSE can’t save money on overtime and the cost of agency staff then services are going to suffer in other areas and patient services have to be maintained. They have to be the priority.”
He said he did not think it was right or appropriate that patients “should in any way become the pawns in any disagreements there might be over pay”.
Asked then if the nurses should go back to work, he said: “I believe that the agencies will be able to find sufficient staff to meet the requirements of the HSE”.
He also stressed that arrangements between agencies and agency nurses were matters for the parties themselves.
“It wouldn’t be my role as Minister for Health to be involved in that. Where I do have a role and where I feel I have a right to speak is if patient care is compromised through organised action by a union.”
Dr Reilly also said it was “timely to remember that Mr Chopra [the head of the mission from the International Monetary Fund] is in town today”.
Meanwhile, nursing unions and the HSE held talks on the agency staff issue with the chairman of the Implementation Body for the Croke Park Agreement in the health sector.
The chairman Pat Harvey, is to reflect on the submissions made and contact the parties again on Friday.
The row stems from moves by the HSE to put in place a new system for securing staff provided by agencies. The HSE says that this will generate up to €40 million in savings. As part of the new arrangements, payments to the nurses provided by the agencies will be reduced significantly in some cases.