NURSES HAVE reacted angrily to comments by Minister for Health James Reilly during a visit to Kerry in which he said six beds now closed at the new €16.4 million West Kerry Community Hospital could open if nurses changed their work practices.
The Minister acknowledged the effects which changes in work practices would have “on lifestyles”, but urged the nurses to think of the 450,000 unemployed.
Dr Reilly performed the official opening of the hospital on Friday. Six of 46 beds for high-dependency elderly patients remain closed and up to 100 people – some relatives of elderly people who have to remain in care elsewhere in the county – protested at the failure to open the local beds.
In a radio interview during the visit, Dr Reilly said the intention “absolutely” was to open all 46 beds at the hospital.
“This is not a money issue. And can I say this and I think it is important to say it – this is an issue of nurses changing their work practices and their rosters. It really is down to that, and I would appeal to them to come to the party,” he told Radio Kerry.
Dr Reilly said he knew people did not like to change their rosters, and appreciated they had lifestyles built around them.
However, he also wanted to appeal to the nurses to think too of the “450,000 with no jobs and very little lifestyle”. Yesterday, Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation industrial relations officer Michael Dineen said nurses were “incensed” at the comments.
The facts were that a total of 21.4 nursing staff including directors and clinical nurse practitioners were allocated to tend to 46 open beds.
The Health Service Executive had closed six beds without consultation. Retirements at the end of February would see five of these nursing staff leaving, and any “redrafting of rosters won’t address a shortage of staff”, Mr Dineen said.
“It is regrettable that the Minister has sought to apportion blame on the nursing staff for something that is totally outside of their control. These beds have closed as a direct result of staff retiring and the inability of the HSE to replace those who are leaving due to the moratorium on recruitment. When left with a staffing resource of 14 staff nurses, any degree of creativity with regard to rosters will not be sufficient to fill the deficit in actual staffing numbers.
“It is unfortunate that the Minister’s comments have created the impression that there was a lack of engagement on the part of the INMO with regard to this matter, as we were only appraised as to the closures on Tuesday last,” Mr Dineen said in response to the Minister’s call to “come to the party”.