Collapsed Talks To Avoid Health Strike “Not Good Enough”

Photo © Pat Flynn

Anger has been expressed in Clare, after talks aimed at resolving a row over health workers pay collapsed without resolution.

Around 10,000 support workers nationwide, including 800 at University Hospital Limerick, will be taking to the picket line tomorrow, in a row over a jobs evaluation scheme.

One Clare member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West says the failure to avert strike action is “not good enough”

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From 8am tomorrow, 38 hospitals and health care facilities around the country, inlcuding UHL, will see activity significantly curtailed for 24 hours.

Staff such as cleaners, chefs and porters are downing tools in a dispute between SIPTU, the HSE and Department of Public Expenditure over a jobs evaluation scheme.

SIPTU says that should have seen its members receive an additional €16 million overall.

Despite last week’s strike being called off at the last minute, Divisional Organiser with the SIPTU Health Division Paul Bell says tomorrow’s WILL go ahead.

The strike will see patients impacted, with some inpatient procedures deferred and scopes cancelled, while there’ll also be reduced outpatient, lab and catering services and operating theatre activity.

The Health Minister has described the decision to proceed with the action as “absolutely extraordinary”, labelling it “bizarre” that “such chaos would be brought to our health service without even trying to resolve this at the Labour Court”.

Whitegate Fine Gael Councillor Pat Burke, who is a member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West, insists it’s not good enough to allow talks to collapse without a resolution.

Meanwhile, Clare’s Independent TD Dr Michael Harty says, given the failure of the WRC talks, it’s clear now that we need to change Ireland’s approach to industrial disputes.

Further details from the HSE and the UL Hospitals Group are expected later today on the impact on patients locally.

UL Hospitals Group Statement 

UL Hospitals Group regrets that industrial action planned by SIPTU tomorrow, Wednesday, June 26thwill have a significant impact on services for patients.

Patients should attend scheduled outpatient appointments as planned, unless they have been directly advised otherwise by the hospital. However, a significant number of outpatient appointments at University Hospital Limerick and University Maternity Hospital Limerick have been cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Dialysis clinics and oncology and haematology clinics will go ahead as usual on Wednesday at UHL. Antenatal clinics at University Maternity Hospital Limerick will also go ahead.

Significant disruption to elective surgical services in the three affected hospitals (UHL, UMHL and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital) is also unavoidable. All endoscopy and bronchoscopy procedures have been cancelled at UHL. Theatres will continue to operate for emergency cases and for a small number of urgent elective cases.

Patients whose planned surgery or day case procedure is being affected are being contacted directly by the hospital.

Please note that all services at Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and St John’s Hospital will operate as normal during the 24-hour strike.

Our Injury Units in Ennis and Nenagh are open from 8am to 8pm and from 8am to 6pm at St John’s. Injury Units are for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. More information on Injury Units is available here

Emergency services (including the Emergency Department at UHL and the Maternity Emergency Unit at UMHL) will continue to operate during this Wednesday’s action.

The strike is due to begin at 8am on Wednesday June 26th and to conclude at 8am on Thursday, June 27th.

UL Hospitals Group is working with SIPTU on contingency planning and on ensuring essential care is delivered.

However, significant disruption is expected given the scale of the action, which involves essential support staff.

Limited catering services will be provided on Thursday. Regrettably many patients will be served soup/sandwiches/salads rather than a full meal service. Special arrangements are in place for patients with specific dietary requirements.