Dublin: Trade union representatives have highlighted the violence and assault suffered by nurses and midwives.
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar says protests against foreign workers working at some hospitals in Ireland have been downgraded. The government sees protests against foreign health workers doing health work, regardless of color, family background, race or immigration, and will respond. In addition, Leo Varadkar announced that the National Action Plan against Racism, led by Integration Minister Roderick O'Gorman, will start from the beginning of March.
A nurse gave evidence that she had been spat on, verbally abused and threatened to stab her. At a hearing of the Oireachtas Committee on Health, unions also outlined the pressures health workers face.
The Irish Medical Organization (IMO) said hospital overcrowding was leading to sustained and serious risks to health workers and patients.
"While record levels of overcrowding make headlines every winter, Ireland's hospitals are operating beyond safe capacity year-round," said IMO President Dr Clive Kilgallen.
In his opening statement to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization General Secretary Phil Ni Shigda Committee, he highlighted the ongoing violence and assaults experienced. In a profession where there are so many women, at least ten assaults every day is unacceptable. From January 2021 to October 2022, 5,593 assaults on nursing and midwifery staff were reported, she said. Ms Ni Shegda said the main problem was the frustration of waiting for care.
Staff nurse Sylvia Chambers said she was spat at, abused and threatened to stab her. It said it is committed to creating a safe environment in which to work or receive treatment. The HSE said it will continue to focus on the management of work-related aggression and violence this year to support the HSE's strategy and policy.
The SIPTU Committee was told that there was a disparity in support for health sector workers who had been attacked. Support staff, including healthcare assistants, porters, catering, cleaning and security staff, receive only 25% of the financial support given to allied health professionals, clerical officers and nursing staff, even if they are all attacked equally.
If an unfortunate incident does occur, any policy designed to support workers should be based on equality of access, not grade," Figgis said. He told the committee that HSE data showed support staff were the second highest category of staff to be assaulted in the workplace.
Figgis added that HSE data showed that 41% of support staff who had been assaulted at work were still unfit to work after three months, but were still not entitled to support after this period. Direct physical attacks on paramedics are also high, he said.
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