INMO Members At University Maternity Hospital Limerick Consider Industrial Action

Industrial action is being considered by Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) members at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

It is understood the INMO members are "deeply frustrated" by the Health Service Executive's (HSE) failure to address concerns raised about notified clinical governance in January 2015.

The are also issues surrounding a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) agreement reached in November 2015 on staffing levels that has not yet been implemented, INMO said.

The WRC agreement included:

• Recruitment of an additional 30 midwives & neo natal nurses, (to date these additional posts have not been filled);

• Review of hospital requirements for portering on 24/7 basis;

• Additional clerical administration supports in all areas of the hospital;

• Additional health care assistants to support the work of midwives;

• And critically an electronic booking system for elective inductions to cease over booking of elective work each day.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer Mary Fogarty said: "It is the firmly held view of midwives that the HSE has only paid lip service to the WRC implementation process since last November, has reneged on a review of a need for additional porters and failed to date to allocate additional clerical staff and health care assistants.  

"In tandem the hospital has high elective induction activity (39% in January 2016) placing unbearable pressures on the service that still has significant midwife staffing deficits. 

"Our members have nothing personally to gain by speaking out except securing a safe, quality and appropriately staffed maternity service for mothers and babies. It is of significant concern to frontline midwives that the ongoing clinical risks at the hospital due to a shortage of staff and high elective induction rates are left unaddressed.

"Midwives are disillusioned with the HSE and its failure to listen and act in a timely fashion and put in place robust governance and safe staffing arrangements."

(MH/CD)