The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Monday, July 4th) that industrial action by psychiatric nurses will escalate to Phase 2 following the absence of adequate proposals from the HSE and Department of Health to address the issues of understaffing of mental health service across the country.
The escalation of the industrial action was ratified today by the National Executive Committee of the PNA and will commence on Wednesday July 6th. Phase 2 actions will include:
- Do not use own transport for hostel activities.
- Does not use own transport when re- deployed to fill a staff shortage.
- If redeployed work under protest;
- Cease use of IT – Systems except when inputting or accessing reports in relation to direct patient care e.g. blood results, medical reports, and electronic notes.
- Do not attend non-clinical meetings.
- Do not open and close entrance doors to units.
- No co-operation with reconfiguration, new initiatives, pilot project
PNA General Secretary Designate, Peter Hughes said there were no adequate proposals brought forward by the HSE to begin to address the issues of recruitment and retention of nurses at a meeting with PNA this morning.
‘There appears to be a lack of understanding of the resolve of psychiatric nurses to bring the current staffing crisis to an end. Nurses are simply not prepared to continue trying to provide essential mental health services with the current level of understaffing and that resolve was shown with the original vote of over 87% of PNA members in support of industrial action.’
Media Contact: Derek Cunningham 086 2430535