The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is to ballot its members working in emergency departments on possible industrial action.
The union’s executive council met on Wednesday and decided to seek a mandate from its emergency department members, for collective action, up to and including a withdrawal of labour.
The ballot is expected to start next week on November 9th.
Minister for Health Leo Varadkar said he is “disappointed” the INMO executive council has decided to ballot its members.
“Industrial action won’t get a single patient off a trolley. We have a plan to address ED overcrowding which is currently being implemented and which is supported by the INMO. I ask that all efforts be focused on working together to implement the plan.”
The INMO executive council said for the 15th month in a row there was an increase in the level of overcrowding in emergency departments, with 7,971 admitted patients cared for on trolleys in October.
It said the ballot is “in protest at the persistent, and deepening, levels of overcrowding in ED departments across the country”.
Trolley Watch
It said in the first 10 months of this year almost 80,000 admitted patients, were on trolleys, which is the highest ever figure for the first 10 months of any year since the Trolley Watch survey began.
It also said there is a “complete failure of management” to address identified areas of concern in staffing, maintaining a safe work environment and having a senior clinical decision-maker in the department every day.
INMO General-Secretary Liam Doran said: “Our members have had enough, we believe patients have had more than enough and a campaign of action, including industrial action, is now necessary to secure the necessary measures to alleviate this crisis.
“Our members have told us safe care must be prioritised, the crisis cannot be ignored by management any longer and that patient care is being compromised because of overcrowding.”