Nursing unions to meet health board over strike

In a bid to avert industrial action this Friday at St Joseph's Hospital, Clonmel, nursing unions and health board officials will hold a breakfast meeting tomorrow.

At the core of the dispute are concerns about overcrowding with Irish Nursing Organisation official, Mr Don Culliton, claiming this was creating fire safety risks because of the number of beds being placed in corridors.

Mr Culliton said a fire safety officer had visited the hospital in May this year and instructed the hospital management to remove beds from the corridors.

"Last night, [Tuesday] there were up to 20 additional beds in the corridors some of which were blocking fire exits and creating dangerous working conditions for the 150 nurses in the hospital", Mr Culliton said.

A work-to-rule policy will be put in place by nurses represented by the INO and SIPTU from Friday October 5th at 8 a.m. and this action will run until the issue is resolved. Mr Culliton stressed that while new admissions might be affected, care to existing patient would not be compromised.

While accepting part of the problem had resulted from the hospital's building programme, Mr Culliton said the INO was seeking a High Court order to prohibit overcrowding at the hospital.

In a statement, the South Eastern Health Board said it "recognises the difficulties experienced by staff, patients and relatives due to the overcrowding arising from increased medical referrals and admissions and while building work is in progress in the hospital."

However a spokeswoman disputed there were 20 beds in the corridors last night, claiming that hospital records showed only 7. She added fire exits were never allowed to be blocked by beds in corridors.

She added that 23 additional beds will result from the current £30 million building programme and asked for the industrial action to be called off as discussions for interim extra beds were ongoing. The building programme is due to be completed in 18 months.

The hospital has decided that all elective admissions will cease from Friday 5th and has asked GP's referring patients to seek admissions to other hospitals.

The South Eastern Health Board has asked the INO and SIPTU representatives to be available for a discussions with the Labour Relations Commission if the dispute is not resolved at tomorrow’s meeting.