Back in the spotlight: University Hospital Waterford.

Back in the spotlight: University Hospital Waterford.


Management at University Hospital Waterford (UHW) have refuted allegations made by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) which claimed that patient care at Ardkeen was ‘being compromised’.
In a statement issued to The Munster Express on Monday, a UHW spokesperson contended that “the care being provided at UHW, to the many thousands of patients from Waterford and the South East who use its services, is of the highest standard”.
This followed an INMO statement released on Friday last which contended that, “due to a recruitment ban, patient care has been severely compromised and (that) frontline nurses and midwives (are) severely overworked”.
Citing 2014 figures, the UHW spokesperson added: “Our staff ensured that 60,000 people were treated in its Emergency Department, 23,000 people were treated as in-patients, 22,000 people underwent a day procedure, 150,000 people attended the Out Patients Department and that 2,100 births took place in the hospital’s Maternity Unit. The same numbers of patients are expected to be cared for again in 2015.”
With management adamant that “every effort is made to maintain appropriate staffing levels across all the clinical areas,” the INMO painted an altogether different picture.
“At meetings with management, in Waterford, it has been confirmed that a significant number of vacant posts continue to exist,” read last Friday’s statement.
“Management have also said that, while some recruitment has taken place, it has not proved possible to fill all vacancies even through the employment of agency staff. The net result of this, which simply reflects the flawed policies of recent years, is that wards are left short and nurses are unable to meet the total care needs of patients.”
The statement added that the INMO has recently “sought to support our members, in Waterford, through the provision of specific professional development courses on such critically important issues as maintaining safe practice, safe documentation and highlighting risk.
“In tandem with these programmes, provided by the INMO, we have continued, in meetings with management, to record the increased risks arising, from unsafe staffing levels, and our members have recorded their professional concerns in formal documentation to management.”
In a communication circulated to all UHW staff last week, General Manager Richard Dooley described coverage that suggested patient care at the hospital was its ‘worst ever level’ was “a grossly inaccurate portrayal”.
Referring to last week’s lead story in the Waterford News and Star, Mr Dooley said such reportage was “a massive disservice to our hard working staff – people who are professional, committed to best practice in patient care and proud to work in University Hospital Waterford”.
Mr Dooley continued: “Public confidence in our hospital is very important to us and to the communities in Waterford and the South East whom we serve. The maintenance of this confidence remains a core concern for all of us working in UHW, as we meet and treat patients who are often at a difficult and vulnerable time in their lives.
“Management and staff in UHW have ambitious plans for the further development of these services for our patients. Notwithstanding our continued openness as regards feedback from patients/their families and our staff, I would like to assure everyone that this hospital – in all its service areas – strives to ensure that every patient receives the highest standard of patient care.”
As part of a statement of unprecedented depth, UHW stated that nursing and midwifery “makes up the largest part of our workforce” and that a recruitment process, “including a number of newly funded posts to support new services”, was ongoing.
“Currently there are 18 nursing posts approved for replacement, a recruitment process is underway to fill these posts. There is constant recruitment to back fill resignations and retirements as they occur.
“However it is acknowledged that the current national recruitment process required in order to fill a vacant post can take a number of weeks. As part of UHW efforts to ensure appropriate staffing levels, all of the 2015 new graduate nurses who trained in the South East have been offered permanent contracts of employment in UHW. Twenty-four of the new graduates have accepted these contracts and will be commencing employment in UHW in the coming weeks.”
INMO Industrial Relations Officer Mary Power stated: “It is not acceptable that nurses are having their duty rosters changed and their leave cancelled at short notice due to staff shortages. This attack on the work-life balance entitlements, of our members, is only exacerbating their stress levels and cannot continue.
“This problem is a legacy of the moratorium coupled with this acute hospital operating at approximately 120 per cent capacity without the appropriate nursing staff in place to deliver the care that all presenting patients have a right to expect.”
Addressing staff leave, the UHW spokesperson added: “Whilst every effort is made to ensure that employees can avail of parental, annual and other leave entitlements, there are occasions when particular services may need to manage situations to ensure staff are in place.
“There may be periods during the summer months, for instance, where reductions in sanction for some leave may apply. This is due to service needs and to ensure that as many staff as possible are allocated leave at this optimum time for leave. A process is underway to address the current nursing staff applications for flexible working time.”
Looking towards the winter, the INMO’s Mary Power said her union “will continue to demand that special incentives are brought forward, to recruit/retain nursing staff or it will be necessary to reduce the bed numbers, in the hospital, to the level appropriate to the numbers of nursing staff available”.
UHW stated that a new Clinical Directorate structure “will further enhance a focused and objective-driven service planning and delivery process”.
The hospital spokesperson added: “This includes decision making closer to the point of service delivery and will enhance communication and consultation at all levels, to allow for greater staff inclusion and input into the decision making processes. This will greatly enhance service delivery and make for improved services for UHW patients.”