Nurses at Naas General Hospital to begin work-to-rule as part of industrial action

INMO members in Naas General Hospital will be commencing a work-to-rule on Monday in relation to what the union describes as unacceptable and unsafe staffing deficits.

Members will also hold a lunchtime protest outside the hospital in relation to staffing, with the union stating that industrial action may escalate if the employer does not act to resolve staffing issues.

The INMO stated that despite their efforts to engage with HSE management on the matter of staffing, no substantive action has been taken to increase staffing in line with agreed safe staffing frameworks.

INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Bernadette Stenson, said: “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.

"The hospital’s ability to meet demand has become entirely dependent on our members stretching themselves to breaking point. They now have no choice but to highlight existing shortfalls by beginning a work-to-rule action.

“Nurses in Naas do not want to take this action, but they see no alternative if there is to be meaningful change in the hospital and significant measures taken to ensure their safety and the safety of their patients.”

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha added:“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 and highly-skilled theatre nurses are owed hundreds of hours of time back.

"This type of employment pattern is being replicated in hospital sites across the country. The HSE must now meaningfully engage and ensure funded posts are being filled.”