INMO AND SIPTU To Continue Campaign For Patient Safety at MWRH, Limerick
The campaign by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU to secure safe patient care at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick continues, following a very angry meeting of members today (Friday 7th October).
On Wednesday next, 12th October, a bus carrying members of the INMO and SIPTU at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, named “The Patient Safety Express”, will travel from Limerick at 8.15 a.m.to Dublin, making stops along the way to deliver letters in an effort to resolve the issue to:
- Mr Cathal Magee, CEO. HSE, Dr Steeven’s Hospital
- Dr James Reilly, Minister for Health, Department of Health
- Taoiseach, Mr Enda Kenny, Leinster House
This will be followed by a protest outside Government Buildings between 1.00 and 2.00 p.m. to which T.Ds and Senators will be invited to support nurses in their campaign for patient safety.
An open invitation will be offered to all sitting Limerick T.D.s to meet with members, after the protest outside the Dáil, in Buswells hotel.
At 3.00 p.m. a press conference will be held at Buswell’s which will be attended by nurse representatives from the hospital.
Speaking this afternoon, INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Mary Fogarty said:
“The anger and frustration of our members over the continued overcrowding in the Mid Western Regional Hospital and apparent lack of interest by the HSE to resolve the issues, continues unabated. It is impossible to comprehend how the recommendations of the Special Delivery Unit, specifically set up by the Minister for Health to sort out the crisis in our Emergency Departments, are being ignored by management. The HSE has dismissed calls from the INMO and SIPTU to re-deploy nurses from the region into the hospital while the crisis continues, or to open closed beds and are refusing to enter further discussions.”
SIPTU Sector Organiser, Louise O’Reilly said; “It was clear at today’s meeting that our members now believe that local management is either unwilling or incapable of resolving this dispute and it is necessary to bring this directly to the doors of the Minister and those who can bring about a resolution.”
