Nurses at beaumont hospital vote 100 for strike action

- Industrial action will commence on January 27 in the form of an on-going work to rule

- Nurses will hold lunchtime protest on Friday January 9, 1-2pm.

- The action is being taken by members in an attempt to end severe and unsafe overcrowding within the Emergency Department

Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) in Beaumont Hospital Emergency Department have voted by 100% in favour of industrial action.

Nurses in the ED will commence industrial action on January 27, in the form of an on-going work to rule where all essential care required by patients will continue to be provided, but non- essential/ administrative work will not be done by overworked nursing staff. This will escalate to work stoppages if the situation does not improve.

Members will also hold a lunchtime protest at the hospital from 1-2pm on Friday January 9.

The action is being taken by members in an attempt to end severe and unsafe overcrowding within the Emergency Department. INMO members have been left with no other choice but to resort to taking industrial action due to the gross overcrowding, staff shortages and overall intolerable and unmanageable workloads.

Our members have continued to advise management that the chronic overcrowding and staffing shortages are impinging on their ability to provide safe patient care yet the situation persists. Patients are faced with deplorable conditions where they are crammed together on trolleys and chairs for days on end waiting for a bed to become available. In addition, staff in the ED are placed under enormous stress and strain as they contend with the unmanageable workloads with absolutely no let up.

Speaking this morning, INMO industrial relations officer, Lorraine Monaghan said: “This situation is beyond tolerable for patients and staff.

“Major change is required to bring an end to the untold suffering of patients. The solutions are there but it requires management, the HSE and the Minister for Health to declare the situation a National Emergency and cancel all elective hospital procedures to deal with the immediate crisis.”

Members of the public are asked to support the lunchtime protest on this Friday which will be held at the gates of Beaumont Hospital from 1-2pm.