Sir, - As a working doctor, may I respectfully make some suggestions to the leaders of my nursing colleagues in the light of the conduct of the recent industrial action. The tactic of providing cover by striking nurses in only emergency circumstances was to me deeply flawed and misguided.
Good medical practice is directed at the prevention of ill-health and when this fails, dealing with emergency situations. Indeed the members of the nursing profession are our key allies in this regard, now and in the future. Unfortunately very many essential but non-emergency services were withdrawn at appalling cost to patients. As a consequence situations which were manageable have or will become emergencies through neglect.
While emergency cover is an appealing ethical position, it is profoundly flawed and should, in my view, not be the criterion by which services are provided in the event of future industrial action by any medical personnel. There are however essential and non-essential medical activities which with careful consideration can be delineated reasonably in advance of any impending action. It would be less divisive among staffs and fairer to the great many patients.
Furthermore it is apparent in the wake of what has happened that leaving highly sensitive decisions to be argued out at a local level by strike committees proved to be a mistake. In future, far greater care and more explicit guidelines need to be developed nationally so that the uneven and unjust withdrawal of services is not experienced again by particular patient groups.
It was one of the tragedies of the recent industrial action that many less vocal, less glamorous but very needy patient groups experienced the greatest hardship. It behoves us all to concentrate our collaborative minds on developing a more ethical approach for the future. - Yours, etc.,
Dr Justin Brophy, Consultant Psychiatrist, Newcastle Hospital, Greystones, Co. Wicklow.