Thursday, April 3rd, 2025: The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Thursday) that it is to suspend its industrial action following agreement that the HSE will now conduct a review process that will set out the nursing numbers required to run mental health services. The HSE has given an undertaking that the process will be completed no later than the end of April.
The PNA had commenced industrial action on March 26th in response to the continued failure of the HSE to exempt mental health services from proposed cuts in nursing numbers and unacceptable restrictions on recruitment.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes announced the suspension of the industrial action at the PNA Annual Delegate Conference in Westport
Mr Hughes said it remains the unions position that because of the HSE Pay and Numbers Strategy, staffing in mental health services has been reduced to unsustainable levels and service delivery and development has been impacted across the mental health services.
“Our consistent position has been that the current level of staffing shortages has left services hugely reliant on overtime and agency to maintain basic services and is severely impacting on service development, which is contrary to Sharing the Vision, the government’s mental health strategy.”
“We will be closely monitoring the HSE review process that will now get underway to ensure that it fully captures the reality of the staffing vacancies in mental health services at all levels.”
Media contact : Derek Cunningham 086-2430535
