A meeting between trade unions representing staff affected by the HSE decision to use the newly built Community Nursing Unit(CNU) in Nenagh as a step down facility for patients in University Hospital Limerick did not go ahead today as planned. The meeting involving the INMO, SIPTU and FORSA trade unions is now rescheduled for early on Tuesday morning.
The trade union group is opposed to the plan for a number of reasons – primarily because they feel it is not an appropriate solution for overcrowding in UHL, it involves a private health provider running the facility for the HSE and will delay for an uncertain period of time the movement of residents from St Conlon’s Nursing Home in Nenagh into what was to be their new state of the art facility. The unit would provide at least 50 additional bed spaces for what the HSE call “sub acute beds”. The Trade Union group is also to meet with the new Regional Executive Officer for the HSE in the Mid West Sandra Broderick at 11am on Tuesday March 19th.
The INMO reports 82 patients on trolleys in UHL today – making it by far the most overcrowded hospital in Ireland – the next highest trolley count is 34 patients.
