Hse pulls back on promise of new nurses for mullingar
The HSE has rowed back on its commitment to recruit 90 nurses for the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar - just seven weeks after the commitment was given.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Derek Reilly, confirmed to The Westmeath Examiner today that he has been informed that 35 out of the promised 90 posts have been pulled.
As a result, the INMO has served notice on the hospital of its intention to mount industrial action from April 22.
“It’s just Mullingar that is affected,” Mr Reilly said, adding that he has never seen a commitment broken so quickly, and that the news is “demoralising”.
The 35 posts were meant to be “additional” staff, while the 55 other positions are replacements for vacancies.
“Ten of the nurses were for Accident and Emergency, ten were for the maternity unit, and 15 for the rest of the hospital,” he stated.
Mr Reilly said that the agreement that Mullingar was to get 90 new staff was made with the Ireland East Hospital Group, of which the Midlands Regional Hospital at Mullingar is a constituent hospital.
“They’re now saying they don’t have the funding for those 35 jobs,” he says.
A question was put to health minister Leo Vardakar on RTE yesterday evening, and Mr Reilly is hoping that the minister will now intervene.
Dáil deputy Robert Troy is fuming over the breach of the commitment, saying that the hospital, “one of the most efficient in the country, is both underresourced and understaffed”
“These were promised as a result of the nurses and midwives having to take to the streets in their lunchhour a few weeks ago.”
He said he was concerned at the impact the failure to follow through on the commitment would have not just on patients, but also on staff, who are working over and beyond what should be expected of them.
“We have a minister who is sitting on the sidelines and is happy to give commentary on what’s going on but when asked a direct question in the Dáil about the nurses in Mullingar is only able to refer the matter on to the HSE.
“The question has to be asked is who is in control, and running the health service?”