Nurses at Naas General Hospital Begin Industrial Action Over Staffing

Nurses at Naas General Hospital, one of Ireland’s busiest healthcare facilities, commenced industrial action today in response to ongoing staffing issues. The action, characterized as a work-to-rule, aims to highlight what the nurses describe as “unacceptable and unsafe” working conditions. Members of the Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation (INMO) are also organizing a protest at lunchtime outside the hospital, with the union indicating that further escalation of their actions could occur if management fails to address the staffing problems.

The INMO has expressed frustration over the lack of substantive engagement from Health Service Executive (HSE) management regarding staffing. Despite multiple attempts to address these concerns, no significant measures have been implemented to increase staffing levels in accordance with established safe staffing frameworks. The union pointed out that management has not filled vacancies caused by maternity leave, which has compounded the challenges faced by nurses. Additionally, the hospital has seen a more than 25 percent increase in Emergency Department attendance over the past three years, further straining resources.

Bernadette Stenson, Assistant Director of Industrial Relations at INMO, emphasized the perilous conditions nurses are currently enduring. She stated, “INMO members are dealing with immense pressure, unsafe conditions, and continuous redeployment to different clinical areas in order to fill the most dangerous staffing gaps.” Stenson noted that the ability of the hospital to meet patient demand now hinges on the nurses’ capacity to extend themselves beyond reasonable limits. She added, “They now have no choice but to highlight existing shortfalls by beginning a work-to-rule action.”

The sentiment among the nurses is clear: they do not wish to engage in industrial action, but feel it is necessary to provoke meaningful change in the hospital’s staffing policies and ensure both their safety and that of their patients.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha called for the HSE to address the staffing shortages. She remarked, “In the HSE’s own Service Plan for the year ahead, they celebrate the fact that they have made cost savings through ’employment controls,’ yet the impacts of this are seen in Naas General Hospital where short staffing is a huge problem.” Ní Sheaghdha highlighted that highly-skilled theatre nurses are owed hundreds of hours of time back due to these staffing gaps.

The issues faced at Naas General Hospital are not isolated but reflect a growing trend in healthcare facilities across Ireland. The INMO has urged the HSE to engage meaningfully with its staff and ensure that funded posts are filled promptly. As the situation unfolds, the union is prepared to take further action if necessary to advocate for the welfare of its members and the patients they serve.