BY KATE HEANEY
MANAGEMENT at Letterkenny General Hospital have this week requested the public not to telephone the hospital unless absolutely necessary. In the week when nurses started a work-to-rule protest, they are refusing to answer phones or use computers.
In this changed work practise, nurses at Letterkenny hospital have reported that they have had more time to spend with patients.
The nationwide industrial action is in support of the nurses' claims for a 35 hour working week and increased wages.
According to the Irish Nursing Organisation's north west Industrial Relations Officer Noel Traenor, nurses at Letterkenny hospital were reporting that communications with patients were improved ten-fold since the work to rule began on Monday.
"Speaking to a senior nurse in Letterkenny, she told me she had been worried about communication during the work-to-rule because nurses were not answering telephones or using computers. What she found was that communication with patients had improved ten-fold because nurses were not spending time sitting at computers, instead they could spend the time with patients. There are communication issues in terms of administration," he said.
He made the point that the corporate HSE showed how far removed from the patients they were when they stated that computer work was the 'core' working duty for nurses. Mr Traenor added that the corporate HSE were not even close to what was happening to patients.
According to the HSE, hospital and community services in Donegal have coped with the industrial action so far, having put in place planned contingency measures.
Some procedures have been cancelled at Letterkenny General Hospital due to the industrial action and there have been delays and a slowing down of processes due to the nurses' action.
"This is already having an impact on patient flow and discharge management, and on the transport of patients to other locations. Day ward and in-patient activity are carrying on as normal and there have been no cancellations of out-patient services.
"The HSE believes that the continuation of this industrial action will cause significant disruption to hospital and community-based services, which may result in hardship and distress to patients. We are asking members of the public not to ring hospitals unless absolutely necessary," a HSE spokesperson said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
They added that it would be helpful to the hospital and help ensure that patient information is relayed to families if they could nominate a relative who, when visiting, can inform other wider family of a patient's status/condition, rather than family members phoning the hospital.
The Irish Patients' Association this week expressed concern about disruption resulting from the ongoing work-to-rule action by nurses.
The nursing unions insist patient care is not being compromised as a result of the action, but the HSE says it has caused delays and the cancellation of some treatments.
The Irish Patients Association says it has major concerns about the situation and has questioned how nurses can tell if incoming calls are of a clerical or clinical nature before deciding whether to answer the phone.
The association has criticised the stance adopted by both sides in the dispute, saying a way forward needs to be found to resolve the row as soon as possible.
