Workers’ Party Dublin North West representative Jimmy Dignam has offered his full support to nurses at Beaumont Hospital who have announced industrial action in response to unsafe staffing levels at the hospital.
Speaking to activists in his constituency, Dignam said, ‘The fact that 99% of Irish Nurses & Midwives’ Organisation’s members in the medical and surgical directorates at the hospital voted in favour of taking work-to-rule industrial action is indicative of the scale and urgency of the crisis at the hospital. The figure of 45 vacancies in 14 wards is shocking and shows the strain and pressure that front-line healthcare workers are put under on a daily basis as they attempt to provide a safe level of care to patients.
He said, “The cuts to pay and conditions for workers, as well the embargo on recruitment that was in place for a number of years have had a hugely detrimental impact on both workers and patients. It is vital that these positions are filled immediately in order to lift the burden from existing staff and provide an adequate level of care to patients at Beaumont Hospital and across the health service’, Dignam stated.
“A publicly funded single-tier health system, where workers and patients are treated with respect is the only solution to the crisis facing our health services right now. I applaud these workers for the step they have taken to pressure the government and management into ensuring that patients receive adequate care at Beaumont Hospital and in similar hospitals throughout the country”, Jimmy Dignam concluded.