Talks ongoing to avert hospital strike action

The nurses strike scheduled for seven hospital emergency departments tomorrow including at Cavan General may be called off, it is being reported.

Representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives' Organisation (INMO) and the Health Service Executive have been meeting at the Workplace Relations Commission, andits being said there is some optimism that a deal could be done to avert the planned two-hour stoppage (10am-12 midday).

Cavan General Hospital has issued a statement saying it regrets the decision by INMO to undertake industrial action.

The Emergency Department at the hospital will remain open over the course of the industrial action on Tuesday morning in an effort to continue to meet patients’ emergency medical needs.

A spokesperson for Cavan General says the hospital has contingency plans in place to minimise, in so far as is possible, the impact of this industrial action on patient care and. As part of the RCSI Hospital Group, it will also be supported by other affiliated hospitals in the region.

As a result of the strike action, some planned, non-urgent (not cancer-related) elective procedures may be cancelled and patients whose appointments and procedures are affected will be contacted directly. 'New dates will be re-scheduled as soon as possible,' the hospital says

It is intended that day cases will continue as normal and as clinically appropriate the hospital has prioritised the discharge of patients over the weekend.

However, while hospital Emergency Departments will be open, the Cavan General is encouraging patients, 'in the first instance, to attend their GP, the Minor Injuries Unit on the Monaghan Hospital site or the Out of Hours GP service if appropriate.'

The spokesperson also moved to address a number of issues which are currently before the WRC, including overcrowding, and how incremental credit and pay for student nurses will be handled going forward.

'RCSI Hospitals has already been engaging with unions on a strategy to attract and retain additional nursing staff and has developed a strategic recruitment campaign which targets nurses nationally and internationally. The RCSI Hospitals Group is investigating every available avenue to attract nurses. This includes advertising for nursing positions on an ongoing basis in a variety of outlets such as national newspapers, social media, INMO magazines and various specialist journals. Support packages are being offered to assist with costs such as registration and training fees.

'Overcrowding does not always relate to staff numbers and is significantly connected to a number of factors including increase in presentations and delayed discharges which often occur when patients, usually older people, are medically fit to leave hospital but remain there because of the complexity of discharge plans for continuing care. In the RCSI Hospitals Group, some delayed discharges are due to a shortage of funding for long-term nursing care. While in Cavan and Monaghan these are often due to lack of capacity in public and private long term care accommodation. There is a concerted focus amongst hospitals in the Group to continue to develop stronger links with Community Health Organisations (CHOs) and working with them to reduce the number of delayed discharges that can negatively impact bed capacity.'

The spokesperson for Cavan General concluded by telling the Celt that the whole of the RCSI Hospital Group’s main focus remains on 'patient safety, quality outcomes, and effectiveness of care across all our hospitals'.

'We are taking steps to improve patient access to our hospitals by adding more beds, opening day hospitals for longer periods, and improving links with community healthcare organisations and primary care teams. In anticipation of additional pressures on the system, our winter planning is aimed at tackling delayed discharges, and cutting waiting times for emergency department admissions and improving patient experiences,' Cavan General has said.