Psychiatric nurses transferring from St Loman's Psychiatric Hospital in Dublin to Tallaght Hospital have retained the right to their own reporting structures and rosters and will get relocation payments of over £2,000 each. They will also continue to be employed by the Eastern Health Board rather than the board of the new general hospital.
The deal, which was accepted by 109 of the 140 staff, sets a precedent for psychiatric nurses in other hospitals which are closing or amalgamating with general hospitals. The general secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses' Association, Mr Des Kavanagh, said after the ballot that the way was now cleared to transfer psychiatric services to Tallaght.
He said that hundreds of other nurses throughout the Republic faced transfer as a result of the reorganisation of the health services. The agreement with St Loman's "sets a benchmark for other closures or part-closures due to follow in places such as Cork, Ennis, Carlow and Kilkenny."
Under the agreement, the nurses will continue to be employed by the health board and report to their own chief nursing officer rather than the director of nursing in Tallaght. Rosters remain unchanged, and staffing levels have been agreed for the new acute and geriatric units. Relocation payments of £2,075 will be paid in two phases over three months.