UHL staff strike looming ahead of winter surge

It comes as INMO sounded a warning on the level of hospital overcrowding nationally presented “a major safety risk” to staff and patients.

THE ongoing overcrowding crisis at University Hospital Limerick’s (UHL) emergency department (ED) returned to the spotlight as the hospital’s staff notified their employer that they will join a nationwide protest by health workers for better pay and conditions on October 14.

It comes as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) sounded a warning call that the level of hospital overcrowding nationally presented “a major safety risk” to staff and patients.

The situation in UHL and elsewhere is expected to worsen as the winter sets in and hospital presentations traditionally soar.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha claimed that more than 22 patients in a hospital emergency department is a “major” risk and “these hospitals should make the public aware” of this and advise people to “seek alternative care arrangements”.

According to INMO’s weekday TrolleyWatch count, there were 93 patients waiting on trolleys for an in-hospital bed at UHL on Wednesday morning – 29 in the ED and 64 on wards elsewhere. The previous day there were 117, according to INMO figures. Both representing the highest of any hospital in the country.

Due to regular overcrowding and long delays at UHL, the hospital routinely advises the public to avoid the ED during high patient presentations, and to seek alternative care paths unless in emergency situations.

Meanwhile, the union SIPTU’s Health Division escalated a dispute on behalf of its members and 11,000 health workers in 30 hospitals, including at UHL, to strike on October 14 “to secure meaningful public service pay negotiations” with the HSE.

The strike action follows a one-day work-to-rule by SIPTU Health Division members, which will take place on September 30.

“During the work-to-rule, members will withdraw all voluntary flexibility and goodwill that employers increasingly rely on to maintain services, including the provision of non-rostered overtime and other voluntary additional duties,” SIPTU said.

Kevin Figgis, SIPTU, said members had shown “extraordinary patience” since the current public service agreement expired at the end of June.

“They have continued to provide essential health services while facing soaring costs for food, fuel, electricity, gas, rent and mortgages,” he said.