Some patients at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum are being confined to their wards for over 20 hours a day, and all their therapeutic courses have been suspended because of a strike by 90 care officers. Visits have also been suspended.
The care officers, who are members of SIPTU, began their action yesterday morning, and some of the psychiatric nursing staff at the hospital have also withdrawn their services. Their union, the Psychiatric Nurses' Association, instructed them to withdraw because of the unsafe environment that exists as a result of the strike.
SIPTU nurses, who form a majority of the nursing complement, are being balloted on strike action in support of the care officers.
The hospital is the only high-security psychiatric centre in the State and deals regularly with prison referrals.
Twenty patients referred to the hospital from prisons for clinical assessment have been transferred back to their places of detention because of the dispute. A further 21 patients referred from prison are still undergoing clinical assessment, another 21 are transfers from other psychiatric hospitals and there are 23 long-term patients detained at Dundrum on court orders. Five of the prisoners are women.
Normally these patients are allowed out of their wards for recreation and treatment between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Because of the dispute they are receiving only one hour's recreation in the morning, 90 minutes at lunchtime and an hour in the evening.
A spokesman for the Eastern Health Board, Mr Ken Doherty, said that there was concern at "the untherapeutic environment". It could not be allowed to continue much longer. He accused SIPTU of reneging on commitments to ensure that normal care and association facilities for patients would be maintained during the strike.
The strike centres on reorganisation of rosters at Dundrum and a decision to replace care officers with fully qualified psychiatric nurses. Gate duties, which are a major source of overtime for care officers, are also in dispute.
Most of the care officers earn over £30,000 a year, of which up to £12,000 can be overtime. One source described them as "the prison officers of the health system". Their union, SIPTU, has asked for a more gradual phasing in of the changes.
However, Mr Doherty said that the care officers had rejected a pay and productivity deal which would give them salary increases of nearly 13 per cent. The loss of overtime earnings had been dealt with in a Labour Court recommendation, which provided compensation packages worth up to 18 months' overtime earnings. This would exceed £9,000 in most instances.
The situation was complicated yesterday by the decision of the PNA, which represents eight of the 30 nursing staff, to withdraw its members. The PNA general secretary, Mr Des Kavanagh, denied this was a form of industrial action. His union had offered to discuss the provision of emergency cover if required.