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staffing levels

Psychiatric nurses at UCHG vote for industrial action

The nurses voted 83% in favour and 17% against.

PSYCHIATRIC NURSES AT University College Hospital Galway have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

It’s over an ongoing dispute about staffing levels at the 45 bed acute psychiatric unit at the hospital.

The nurses, all members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), voted 83% to 17% in favour of action.

PNA General Secretary, Des Kavanagh, said the result reflected the anger of nurses who have been left to provide services without proper staffing resulting in an unsafe environment for both staff and patients.

Today’s result is a clear message to management that they have one final opportunity to deliver on a firm commitment made in the last few days to increase the staff compliment in this unit as quickly as possible.

“Failing that the PNA now has a mandate to commence industrial action to ensure that services are delivered with proper staffing in place and in a manner that ensures the safety of both the staff and patients.”

Read: Clinicians brand mental health report as ‘damning indictment’ of minister’s work>

Read: Psychiatric nurses reject Lynch comments, claim Galway unit ‘anything but safe’>

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