Nurses at Mayo University Hospital Vote on Industrial Action

Nurses at Mayo University Hospital are set to vote on potential industrial action due to significant staffing shortages that have raised concerns about patient safety. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has initiated a ballot among its members this week, citing a critical shortfall of 30 nursing staff and ongoing unsafe conditions in the hospital.

The INMO has taken issue with the Health Service Executive (HSE), accusing it of failing to implement the Safe Staffing Framework. This framework outlines the minimum staffing levels necessary for safe patient care. According to the INMO, the current staffing situation in the hospital’s Emergency Department is untenable, and they are demanding additional funded positions to address these deficiencies.

In a recent visit to the hospital, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha expressed concern over the impact of delayed approvals for new recruits. The ballot for industrial action affects members in the Emergency Department A, Emergency Department B, the Medical Assessment Unit, and the Escalation Team. This encompasses the broader unscheduled care directorate within the facility.

“This ballot comes at the end of a long process in which we have tried to resolve the ongoing staffing issues with management in the hospital,” said Colm Porter, INMO’s Assistant Director of Industrial Relations for the area. He noted that management’s proposals have not met the minimum requirements necessary to ensure the safety of both staff and patients.

Porter added, “Our members are very disappointed that it has come to this, but unfortunately, they feel the risks being posed to patients due to ongoing understaffing problems have become too significant.” The sentiment among the nursing staff reflects a loss of confidence in the hospital’s ability to address these critical issues through standard engagement channels.

Nurses have documented and reported these staffing shortfalls for over two years without receiving an adequate response from their employer. The INMO is calling for long-term solutions to what it describes as a chronic staffing crisis. They assert that additional funded positions are essential to bring staffing levels to a minimally safe threshold and mitigate what they view as an unacceptable risk to patient care.

The HSE West and North West region has been contacted for comments regarding the situation. As the ballot progresses, the outcome may lead to significant actions affecting patient care at Mayo University Hospital in the near future.