Mullingar Hospital staff prepare to strike!

Staff at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar are preparing to take strike action this month.

Members of the INMO, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, voted strongly against proposals, brokered by the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), in light of overcrowding, staffing and patient safety issues in the hospital departments.

INMO spokesperson, Mr Derek Reilly, said the "no" margin was greater in Mullingar than the national margin of 58% to 42%.

“The reason for that is that over the entire Christmas period the ED and wards were overcrowded," said Mr Reilly.

"Not once did they have the full complement of staff.

"They failed to implement the 'full capacity protocol'. I will be calling on the HSE to ask them why they breached protocol, which has been implemented at national level.

"Staff in Mullingar have no confidence in management to implement any of the proposed improvements, that is why this is happened," finished Mr Reilly.

Next week, seven hospitals including Tullamore, will implement the first day of strike action on Thursday January 17.

It is understood Mullingar will go out on strike, involving two-hour rolling stoppages, later in the month.