The Health Service Executive (HSE) could become embroiled in a "long and dirty battle" with psychiatric nurses, the nurses' unions warned yesterday.
Industrial action by the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA) and Siptu, which are seeking an improved compensation deal for nurses injured in the course of their work, has already resulted in the closure of beds in Dublin. Hostels and day services have also been forced to close.
The warning of a long and protracted dispute came as Labour Party spokeswoman on health Jan O'Sullivan urged Minister for Health Mary Harney to intervene and seek a solution to the overtime ban by psychiatric nurses.
But according to Siptu national nursing official Louise O'Reilly, industrial action is likely to be stepped up after a meeting between Siptu members and the PNA, scheduled for today.
"The fact that some mental health services have closed because of the overtime ban shows the system is chronically understaffed," she said, adding that calls by HSE management to put patients first and call off the action were cynical.
"I would like to remind managers that it is them, and not nurses, who have failed to put patients first, by allowing a situation to develop that is characterised by over-reliance on overtime."
The PNA and Siptu, representing about 8,000 nurses, have both said escalating the industrial action was on the agenda. "I will be recommending that we withdraw our co-operation with the redeployment of staff," PNA general secretary Des Kavanagh said.
He said the services were "running on our good will" at present, "so my approach would be to withdraw that co-operation and force a crisis".
