'There has to be enough of us to care for people': Cork health workers hold protest on 'unsafe' staffing levels
FORSA member Linda Kelly pictured outside CUH where a large number of hospital staff staged a lunchtime protest on staffing shortages and the impact of the recruitment freeze. Picture Chani Anderson
Over 200 health service staff protested at the gates of Cork University Hospital on Thursday to demand an end to staffing levels that they say are unsafe for both workers and patients.
Fórsa’s Linda Kelly explained “the pay and numbers strategy is a recruitment cap by another name” .
They recently surveyed over 4,000 members and “the message was unequivocal– services are suffering because staff aren’t being replaced or recruited.
“That’s why all these members are out today - it’s an absolute fable from HSE management that services aren’t impacted,” she said.
Ester Fitzgerald, INMO Vice-President said, “We’re here today because we’ve been forced by the HSE and Department of Health to stand up for our patients and our profession.” On Thursday, there were 104 people on trolleys in Cork hospitals including 87 in CUH, with CUH trolley figures for 2024 surpassing 10,000 this week.
Ms Fitzgerald, who works in the ICU said, “it will go over ten thousand and twenty thousand until something changes. We’ll always do what is necessary to care for our patients, but there has to be enough of us".
“It’s a no-brainer, it has been accepted by the Department of Health that this is the way, they provided funding and then they just didn’t do it,” she said, adding that at the moment they are “taking advantage of people’s goodwill” to staff services at the moment.
Midwife Lynda Moore agreed, “Every single shift there’s a call for staff, and that’s just to get to minimum staff – it’s really serious.”
SIPTU’s Sharon Cregan explained, “due to the embargo and the introduction of the pay and numbers strategy, we’ve seen a fall off in the numbers of staff in every facility across the county.
“It’s an ongoing issue and it’s escalating on a daily basis. Our members are exhausted - they’re working additional hours in unsafe environments - we can’t expect people to double-job indefinitely.”
Two physios in CUH told they were compelled to protest due to “reduced staffing levels that are increasing the pressure on workers and reducing the quality of service.
Also in attendance at the protest was People Before Profit-Solidarity TD Mick Barry, who accused the Government of playing “cynical con trick” on the general public, saying “the people need safely and properly staffed hospital services before the winter season well and truly kicks in.”
Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh O’Laoghaire raised the issue with Minister for Finance Jack Chambers in the Dáil, saying unions “are seriously concerned about the situation that we are facing into this winter” and adding “posts are being suppressed, it is having a huge impact on patient safety.”
The HSE said it was “regrettable” that the unions were protesting, with CEO Bernard Gloster saying staffing has increased considerably since 2020 and “that unprecedented growth should not be misrepresented as a cut, adding, “We must stay within what we can afford.”
A HSE spokesperson added that it “respects the right of all Unions and professional groups to advocate; however, it is concerning that some have put forward an inaccurate narrative that the HSE is more influenced by financial considerations than patient safety. That is simply not the case.”
Mr Gloster added that since 2020, “The number of medical staff at CUH has increased by 47%, nursing and midwifery staffing has increased by 38% and Health and Social Care Professionals by 31%.
“It is important that people hear and know that, and it is certainly not indicative of the HSE having disregard for patient safety.”
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