FRONTLINE HOSPITAL staff are being instructed to immediately notify and demand responses from their managers about the increasing frequency of compromised patient care.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said they want members to highlight such cases and inform their managers because “the only way patient care will be brought to the forefront [is] by embarrassing and challenging the HSE”.
Speaking before the start today of the INO’s annual conference, Mr Doran said that would involve “immediately notifying their line manager of why, where and when care was being compromised, keeping a copy of it and demanding a response in 24 hours”.
The INO has launched a website – stopthehealthcuts.ie – where staff and patients write in about their experiences.
Assistant director of nursing at Naas General Hospital Helen Buckley said that since the introduction of the recruitment moratorium on March 27th, no temporary staff could be recruited to replace staff on leave in Naas.
The contracts of six overseas nurses run out this month and “they are in limbo” about whether their contracts will be renewed.
Asked about the instructions to frontline workers to highlight each such incident, she said there would be a “cascade” effect. While Irish staff did not have a difficulty with “the culture of confrontation” it was different for overseas staff.