PSYCHIATRIC NURSES ASSOCIATION of Ireland
Tel: 045 852300 Email: info@pna.ie
Ireland is moving from a short-term emergency response approach to a medium-term approach to managing risk and repairing the damage that COVID-19 has inflicted on society.
Frontline EMTs continuing to receive incorrect payslips and ongoing issues must be resolved urgently
The ambulance branch of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), said today (Wednesday 2nd Sept) that frontline EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians ) are continuing to receive incorrect pay slips with payments missing despite assurances from the National Ambulance Service that it had resolved staff shortages in its payroll section.
PNA ambulance branch (NASRA) Secretary, Tony Gregg said that despite the NAS being aware two weeks ago of staff shortages that were impacting on the processing of payments to EMTs they did nothing to resolve the situation and were prepared to allow frontline EMT’s to go without these payments.
“These EMTs are frontline workers who have put their safety, and that of their families, on the line in responding to the Covid -19 crisis. They have shown extraordinary bravery and commitment to the health service and the community in the work they have undertaken since the start of the Covid crisis. Despite this, the HSE and the National Ambulance Service allowed the situation to develop and, because of the lack of payroll staff, EMT’s did not have their allowances or overtime processed and paid.”
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you for your continuing support and sharing information about COVID-19. Below are some communications updates for you.
Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business - Ireland is now in Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, which began on Monday 29th June. You can view the measures that form part of Phase 3 here.
Please see Covid-19 communications from DOH/HSE re:
Wednesday, June 17th: The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today that the full implementation of ‘Sharing the Vision – a Mental Health Policy for Everyone’ published today (Wednesday ) will be a key test for the incoming government and engagement with stakeholders, including PNA, will determine the successful delivery of the strategy.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said:
“We look forward to engagement on all elements of the implementation of the ‘Sharing the Vision’ policy published today. Despite the detailed and expert submissions PNA made to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care we were never consulted by the Vision for Change Review group that has now brought forward the new strategy. However, it is clear that frontline psychiatric nurses will again be key in the delivery of crucial elements of this new ‘Sharing the Vision’ policy and it will be absolutely essential that their views are heard in the implementation process if it is to succeed.”
Dear Colleagues,
Following engagement between the Health Sector Unions and the HSE today (April 21st), the following has been clarified.
1) The Wearing of Masks.
The HSE and Occupational Health Department have confirmed that all health care workers should now wear masks while caring for patients when they are within a 2 meter distance. Masks should be worn in any scenario where care is being provided and social distancing of 2 metres cannot be adhered to. This includes all community and residential settings. Further instruction on this will be issued by the HSE in the coming days.
2) Priority Testing.
It has also been confirmed that the priority testing, currently underway in the Nursing Home sector, will also incorporate residential settings within the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Services. This priority testing will encompass all residents and staff within these settings.
20.04.07 CERS Memo 18 2020 re Good Friday – Staff who traditionally were granted one day paid leave
Click here for more information...
Ask for help if you are struggling to cope or concerned about your ability to care for yourself, your family and patients as you did before the outbreak.
You can access a number of support services through the Workplace Health and Wellbeing Unit. Workplace Health and Wellbeing Unit:
List of local Occupational Health office and contact details
Phone line to help healthcare workers
A dedicated phone line for all healthcare workers is available. It has been set up to give staff and managers information and advice during the coronavirus outbreak.
Dear Colleagues,
Please find below information regarding the current Covid 19 emergency. We wish to advise all our members that we are engaging with the HSE on a continuous basis and that all information is subject to change as the situation progresses.
We advise all members to make themselves aware of this information and advise. Each heading includes links to the current information available in relation to each topic.
200722_HR Memo re Nomination & Appointment Lead Worker Representative
Return to Work Protocol Nomination Lead Worker Representative
Extension of Waiver of Pension
Message from Covid-19 Stakeholder Communications Support and updates - 3rd July 2020
See also Covid-19 Communications from HSE issued June 2020
HR Circular 046 2020 – NHSF Advice and Guidance re Return to Work Protocolre Return to Work Protocol
NATIONAL POLICY FOR PRONOUCEMENT for Expected Death by Registered Nurses
USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) & Priority Testing
Further information can be found on the Health Protection Surveillance Centre website hpsc.ie
Appendix B - Guide for employees on self-isolation and restricted movement notifications
Appendix C - Guide for managers when notified of COVID-19 self-isolation or restricted movement
20.05.05 CERS Memo 24 2020 re HSE Guideline relating to HR Circular 033 2020
Revised Policy on Redeployment of Staff during COVID-19 infection V4.0 (UPDATED)
20.04.06 CERS Memo 17 2020 re COVID 19 - Redeployed Staff - Travel and Subsistence
HSE Letter re Policy on Redeployment of Staff during COVID-19
20.03.27 CERS Memo 13 2020 re Redeployment Policy - section 51
HR Circular 017/2020: Update re Social Distancing in the Health Sector
Appendix A: Guidance for public service employees in relation to COVID-19 self-isolation and self-quarantine notifications
Appendix B: Guidance for managers when notified of COVID-19 self-isolation or self-quarantine
Appendix C: COVID-19 SELF DECLARATION FORM FOR SPECIAL LEAVE WITH PAY FOR PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE EMPLOYEES
National Guidance Document for Staff Accommodation during Covid19_09 April
HR Circular 014 2020 re Social Distancing in the Health Sector
Healthcare Worker COVID-19 Close Contact Information Leaflet V7
For HCWs returning from any international travel outside of the island of Ireland v4.0, 18.03.2020
HR Circular 032 2020 - COVID-19 Transmission Risk Mitigation Guidance
Covid Response Teams Operational Guidance 080420 (3) Appendix A
Memo to COs re CRTs for Residential Care & Home Support Outbreaks 09042
Risk Assessment of Healthcare Workers with Potential Workplace Exposure to Covid-19 Case V6
NMBI Waives Restoration Fees to Enable Qualified Nurses and Midwives to Return to Work
Information for Nurses and Midwives on Scope of Practice in Emergency Situations
NMBI Statement to Registered Nurses and Midwives on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
Callsave 1850 420 420 - More information....
Lines are open from Monday to Friday: 8am - 8pm : Saturday and Sunday: 9 am - 5 pm
Connect, Communicate, Reassure Pack of Resources Low Res FINAL
National Public Health Guidance for COVID-19 - www.hpsc.ie for the most up to date information on infection prevention and control.
List of Guidance Documents developed by HSE Disability Services
COVID-19 Guidance for Nurse-Led Residential Disability Services
COVID-19 Contingency Plan Home Support Services Disabilities
COVID-19 Guidance Community Residential Services for People with Disabilities
Guidance on Supporting a Distressed Person with Additional Needs
Managing Stress for Individuals with a Disability in a Pandemic
Guidance for Testing for COVID-19 in Disability Services (Graphics)
20.05.05 CERS Memo 24 2020 re HSE Guideline relating to HR Circular 033 2020
HR Circular 033 2020 Working arrangements for those with caring arrangements during COVID-19
A COVID-19 HSE Clinical Guidance and Evidence repository is now available. Click here to access
This site provides a repository of clinical guidance and latest research evidence to equip the clinical community in Ireland to respond to Covid-19. The site contains:
HSE Interim Clinical Guidance to provide consistent advice to the clinical community in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This is based on best available knowledge at the time of completion, written by clinical subject matter experts (SMEs) working with the HSE. These SMEs have both expertise and experience of treating patients for the specific health conditions covered by the guidance.
Research evidence summaries prepared by the HSE National Library Evidence team and other stakeholders
Facility to request additional published Covid19 evidence in relation to specific clinical questions.
Links to point of care tools and educational resources
The content of the site is not meant to replace clinical judgment or specialist consultation, but rather strengthen clinical management of patients and provide up-to-date and relevant guidance. The guidance is iterative in nature and will be updated as the situation changes.
This guidance must be read in conjunction with the National HSE Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Guidance for Possible or Confirmed COVID-19
The repository is accessible from the Staff COVID-19 homepage.
10th March 2020
Dear Colleagues
I am writing in relation to the PNA RCSI Programmes.
RCSI has taken a decision to postpone all planned external events for the time being, in order to try to minimise the number of non-RCSI visitors to the campus.
As you will be aware, Ireland remains in a containment phase for COVID-19. As a health sciences university, RCSI has a responsibility to lead by example in helping contain the spread of the virus.
03rd March 2020
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past few weeks there has been regular engagement between the HSE and the Health Unions.
A teleconference was held this morning and a follow up telecall will be held on Friday 06th March 2020.
The concerns and queries that have been addressed are available on the Health Protection Surveillance Centre Website www.HPSC.ie. Which is updated on a regular basis as the situation develops.
Wednesday 19th February : The Psychiatric Nurses’ Association (PNA) said today’s Mental Health Commission (MHC) Report on access to acute public mental health beds for adults paints a stark and worrying picture of the impact that the lack of investment, and the failure of successive governments to implement the Vision for Change strategy, is having on our mental health services.
Peter Hughes , General Secretary of the PNA, said the MHC Report confirms many of the findings of the PNA’s own research on the lack of implementation of the Vision for Change strategy, 14 years after it was introduced as the pathway to new beginning for our mental health services.
Thursday 13 th February : The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today that real and substantial actions to address the crisis in mental health services must be a central part of any Programme for Government to be negotiated in the formation of the next government.
Peter Hughes, General Secretary of the PNA, said that during the election campaign all of the political parties had made much of their commitments to investment in mental health services in order to address the crisis that has left services struggling to meet demand at every level.
The NMBI wishes to thank all nurses and midwives who have paid their annual retention fees for 2020. Almost 95% of registrants have renewed to date.
For those who have not yet renewed, the fee is now overdue and there is a danger of removal from the register.
Friday 10th January 2020 - The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) ambulance personnel branch, NASRA,said today (Friday) that the current crisis in Emergency Departments with record numbers of patients waiting on trolleys, is putting the national ambulance service (NAS) under enormous pressure, and is exposing the levels of understaffing and underinvestment in the service throughout the country.
NASRA Branch Secretary, Tony Gregg said the NAS was already struggling to cope with the existing demands on it, including low morale among ambulance personnel. However, the unfolding crisis in ED departments risks pushing the service and ambulance service personnel beyond breaking point.
Mr. Gregg said: “The National Ambulance Service is running on empty with ambulances held back at ED departments and consistently missing response time targets, ambulances being deployed on very long journeys across the country and crews being forced to work beyond rostered shifts, and work without the required rest and meal breaks.”
Dear Members,
I wish to advise that the result of the ballot in relation to the recruitment and retention dispute is:
80% in favour of accepting the proposed measures
20% against accepting the proposed measures
Friday, November 8 th 2019 : Psychiatric nurses in Waterford, members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, (PNA) , today (Friday, 8 th Nov.) protested at the University Hospital Waterford at the ongoing overcrowding at the hospital's Acute Psychiatry Unit.
Today's protest follows on last week's unprecedented overcrowding at the Unit which is the latest example of the crisis in mental health services in Waterford brought about through a combination of overcrowding, understaffing and a complete lack of development of Community and Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).
PNA Industrial Relations Officer, Michael Hayes said today's protest was necessary to highlight the impact that overcrowding and under -resourcing of mental health services in Waterford is having on the delivery of care to vulnerable services users.
Wednesday 30th October: The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) has today (Wednesday) said that overcrowding in the Waterford mental health services has reached unprecedented levels and has placed staff working in the services under intolerable pressure.
The 44-bed acute Psychiatry Unit at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) has an additional 10 patients admitted on the ward. Ten beds assigned to Waterford Mental Health Services at the private St Patrick’s Mental Health Services in Dublin are now full and a further three Waterford patients have had to be transferred to Kilkenny which is now also fully occupied.
PNA Industrial Relations Officer, Michael Hayes said the overcrowding in the Waterford services has now reached unprecedented levels despite repeated warnings from the PNA in recent months that the situation in the services was deteriorating.
Frontline EMTs continuing to receive…
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