- Details
-
Created: Thursday, 13 December 2018 14:49
The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said today (Thursday , 13th Dec.) that the planned one day strike by PNA ambulance personnel members (including paramedics, advanced paramedics and emergency medical technicians) which was to take place on Wednesday 19th December has been deferred to Tuesday 22nd January .
PNA is now seeking an urgent referral to the WRC on both the substantive issue of the continued refusal by the HSE to engage in negotiations with the PNA when representing its ambulance branch, and the refusal of the HSE to negotiate contingency plans for industrial action by ambulance personnel.
- Details
-
Created: Tuesday, 16 October 2018 15:51
Nursing members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) have voted overwhelmingly to reject proposals by the Public Service Pay Commission. PNA will now convene a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in November with a view to seeking a mandate for industrial action, up to and including strike.
The PNA has stated that the Public Service Pay Commission Report had failed completely to understand the scale of the recruitment and retention crisis in the mental health services and the impact this is having on the delivery of services.
PNA General Secretary, Peter Hughes said nurses who are experiencing the impact of the staffing shortages on a daily basis were extremely disappointed with the findings of the Pay Commission and its totally inadequate proposals.
Read more ...
- Details
-
Created: Thursday, 27 September 2018 15:15
The PNA National Executive met in Portlaoise on 26th Sept in relation to the proposal emanating from the Public Service Pay Commisson report on recruitment and retention.
It was decided to ballot our members in relation to the proposals with a recommendation to reject.
Further details of balloting etc will be issued in the coming days
- Details
-
Created: Tuesday, 25 September 2018 10:29
Dear Colleagues,
A PNA Delegation met with the Minister for Mental Health, Mr Jim Daly and Dept of Health Officials on Sept 20th to highlight our concerns in relation to the crisis in Mental Health Services (MHS). We highlighted the crisis in recruitment and retention of nurses in the service. We made it very clear to the Minister that we do not accept the Public Service Commission Report statement that " the commission is not persuaded based on evidence available, that current pay arrangements are, in themselves, a significant impediment to recruitment."
The Minister was informed that the HSE acknowledge there is a difficulty in relation to recruitment and retention in the MHS. It was highlighted that the shortage of nurses in the MHS is exacerbating which is supported by the outcome of our recent survey of branches which indicates that there are 700 vacancies nationally, over 200 extra since our last survey in November 2017. It was outlined how this is impacting on patient care and the implementation of Vision for Change resulting in an overtime bill of approximately €300,000 per week which clearly demonstrates a severe nursing recruitment and retention problem.
Read more ...
- Details
-
Created: Wednesday, 04 April 2018 08:21
The PNA said today (Wednesday) it was dismayed and extremely disappointed after the breakdown of talks (under the auspices of the WRC) yesterday with the HSE on the opening of the new acute mental health admission unit at University College Hospital Galway (UCHG).
The PNA said the collapse of the talks resulted from the HSE insistence that it would open just 45 of the 50 beds earmarked for the new Unit. This is in direct violation to the agreement on the closure of 22 beds in Ballinasloe in 2014 when management outlined that 50 beds would become operational in Galway.
During the failed negotiations, the PNA highlighted huge concerns over the high level of bed occupancy within the existing unit, and the absence of service developments such as homebased treatment, crisis intervention teams and 24/7 mental health services that would lead to a reduction in bed occupancy.
PNA Industrial Relations Officer, Rory Kavanagh said:
‘The 2015 HSE Review of Roscommon Mental Health Services, which was a shocking indictment of management of the services, showed that €17.6million was handed back to the HSE in the period 2012-2014 at a time when there was compelling evidence of the under-investment in the mental health services in the West to meet the targets set out in the government's Vision for Change mental health strategy.'
Read more ...