Naas Hospital Nurses Suspend Strike After Staffing Deal

Nurses at Naas General Hospital have suspended their industrial action after concluding lengthy negotiations on Friday evening. Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) had initiated a work-to-rule since Monday, citing unacceptable and unsafe staffing shortages. These shortages included a failure to fill maternity leave vacancies and an inability to cope with a more than 25% increase in Emergency Department attendance over the past three years.

As a result of the negotiations, the union announced that 60 vacant nursing posts will be immediately backfilled, and an additional 30 new positions will be created to cover expanding services. Furthermore, a comprehensive review of all nurse staffing at the hospital, benchmarked against a safe staffing framework, is scheduled to commence this week. The INMO's Dispute Committee has recommended that members be balloted on these proposals next week.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha highlighted the hospital's significant increase in Emergency Department attendances, driven partly by population growth in the area and increased demand from nearby nursing homes. She emphasized that staffing levels have not kept pace with the growing demand on hospital services, leading to staff burnout and retention issues. The union expressed gratitude for public support during the recent protests.