70 nurses to be recruited for University Hospitals Group including Nenagh Hospital

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) secured extra nursing posts at two separate hearings on Monday under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission in relation to the overcrowding crisis.  70 nursing staff are to be recruited for the University Hospitals Group including University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital.  39 nursing staff are to be recruited at Naas General Hospital.

Members of the INMO in the Mid West Group are to defer industrial action, due to commence tomorrow morning at 8.00a.m.

The Organisation is also recommending to its members in Naas to defer industrial action due to commence in that hospital on Wednesday morning, February 4.

Speaking this evening INMO Industrial Relations Officers Mary Fogarty (Mid West) and Derek Reilly (Naas) said:

“The INMO welcomes the commitment to recruit extra nurses in the above hospitals.   This is a positive outcome for our members who have continued to struggle with unmanageable workloads on a daily basis due to persistent overcrowding and understaffing.

We are now calling for an aggressive recruitment campaign to have the posts filled immediately in order to alleviate the continued suffering of patients in inhumane conditions and to allow our members to provide safe care.  All barriers to the recruitment of nurses must now be lifted.”

Phil Ni Sheaghdha, INMO Director of Industrial Relations said:

“Every effort to recruit nurses must now be made.  Posts agreed in the past week between management and the INMO in Beaumont, Galway, the Mid West and Naas are necessary posts to allow safe service delivery and impact on the chronic overcrowding.

We now need immediate visible action to prioritise this necessary recruitment.”

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The Organisation will monitor the situation over the next two weeks and has requested the continued involvement of the LRC.