THE REPRESENTATIVE body for pharmacists has given a vote of no confidence in the Government’s health policies and says it fears a new wave of cutbacks that could lead to 5,000 job losses in the sector.
The Irish Pharmacy Union, which represents about 1,900 pharmacists, passed the motion of no confidence in the Government’s health policy at its annual conference in Waterford on Saturday.
After the motion, union president Liz Hoctor said the Government’s health policies had “manifestly” failed and she urged a fundamental review of health strategy.
Ms Hoctor said pharmacists were now fearing a wave of cuts being imposed on the sector by Government. She warned that this could lead to up to 5,000 job losses and increased problems for patients trying to get access to medicines.
On Friday, Minister for Health Mary Harney signalled that the Government would make a decision in the near future on plans to cut back on professional fees paid to pharmacists and other groups, under controversial powers granted by the Oireachtas in the recent financial emergency measures in the public interest legislation.
“A separate sum of €50 million in relation to savings from community pharmacy reimbursement payments has been assumed in the overall budget plans for the HSE this year and this will also have to be addressed,” Ms Harney added.
Ms Hoctor said the union had always been willing to work in partnership with the Government to achieve savings on the medicines bill, despite the fact that the HSE had abandoned a partnership approach in recent years.
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers at Sligo General Hospital have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action – up to and including strike action – following a decision by management to end automatic entitlement to sick pay.
In a ballot on Friday, 93 per cent of Siptu non-nursing staff, including healthcare assistants, theatre operatives, porters, catering and security workers, voted in favour of the action.
Seven hundred nurses at the hospital are also expected to vote in favour of industrial action with ballots of Siptu and INO nursing staff due to get under way today.
Three hundred Impact workers are also being balloted.
Unions at the hospital said the new rules on sick pay, which are due to come into effect next Friday, on May Day, were in breach of national agreements and Labour Court recommendations.
Local Siptu branch organiser John McCarrick said notice of industrial action had been served on management on April 17th in anticipation of the ballot result.
Mr McCarrick said industrial action would be triggered on the first occasion sick pay was withheld from a union member from next Friday.
The rules meant that staff were “guilty until proven innocent”.