Nurses at Mullingar hospital have begun a work-to-rule over working conditions and the failure of the Midland Regional Health Board to provide a firm date for opening the hospital's new wing. As a result of the action elective admissions are being cancelled.
The new wing will accommodate almost 100 extra beds, but may not be opened for another three years although the structural work is largely finished.
Irish Nurses' Organisation regional officer Ms Noreen Browne said yesterday that nurses would be refusing to put up extra beds because of continuing overcrowding in the existing building. She criticised hospital management for poor bed management and failing to produce a modern admissions and discharge policy with written guidelines.
Although no agreement has been reached with the Department of Health nationally on the ratio of nurses to beds, Ms Browne said the current staff complement of 207 full-time nursing to 198 beds was far too low. The INO wants a ratio of 1.6 nurses per bed in acute general hospitals. Ms Browne said other groups such as occupational therapists had also expressed concerns at working conditions.
Ms Dymphna Bracken, communications officer, said the health board had put proposals to the union to alleviate difficulties, but these had been rejected. It had now sought the intervention of the Labour Relations Commissions and conciliation talks are set for tomorrow. The LRC had requested the INO to defer its action.