Irish nurses struggling under HSE recruitment freeze as INMO refers issue to WRC

Overworked Irish nurses and midwives have referred the HSE recruitment freeze to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). 

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), "practically all hospitals" are running short-staffed because of the ongoing freeze, which was extended to almost all staff and grades (with some exceptions) in November last year. 

The decision was made in an effort to address budget overruns, however the move has been widely criticised by politicians, the INMO, and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which has accused the government of "compromising patient care". 

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the freeze was having "a detrimental impact on patient and staff safety". 

She said, "This recruitment moratorium of frontline patient-facing staff cannot and should not continue. As the union representing nurses and midwives we have not been satisfied with the HSE’s response to date.

"We have referred this issue to the Workplace Relations Commission and the matter is to be heard before a conciliation conference tomorrow." 

She continued: "The recruitment moratorium as it stands poses very serious health and safety risks to nurses and midwives who find themselves working short continuously. 

"It further deteriorates the increasingly dangerous work environment for nurses and midwives, makes creating a safe environment for patients impossible and will have long-term impacts on retaining and recruiting staff." 

It comes ahead of the Easter bank holiday weekend, with Ní Sheaghdha stating the number of patients being treated without a bed in Irish hospitals at present "is very concerning". 

She said, "The HSE needs to immediately outline how it will be planning to discharge patients ahead of the weekend." 

Currently, 583 patients are on trolleys today, 131 of whom are located in University Hospital Limerick, with 74 in Cork University Hospital. 

Just five hospitals nationwide are free of overcrowding today, including National Children's Hospital Tallaght, Bantry General Hospital, Cavan General Hospital, Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore, and Mid-Western Regional Hospital Ennis.