Nurses to display at Stormont over ‘escalating crisis’ in NI well being service
N
urses in Northern Ireland will later maintain an illustration at Stormont to spotlight the “escalating crisis” within the well being service.
It comes as voters throughout Northern Ireland head to the polls for the council elections.
The Department of Health final week mentioned officers are having to make selections on spending reductions with “great regret” following the price range which was set by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris within the absence of regionally elected ministers.
Stormont stays successfully collapsed amid DUP protest motion in opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, with the get together urging the London authorities to behave to deal with its issues.
The well being and social care system in Northern Ireland is being decimated
The anticipated cuts embrace lowering the variety of nursing scholar locations in Northern Ireland to 1,025.
Members of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) will participate within the demonstration on Thursday.
RCN Northern Ireland director Rita Devlin mentioned whereas the native authorities elections don’t have any bearing on the problems they’re elevating, they wish to “highlight the need for all parties to work together in the interests of patients, staff and the people of Northern Ireland”.
“The health and social care system in Northern Ireland is being decimated,” she mentioned.
“The financial position is desperate and it is impossible to progress transformation or other long-term measures that are urgently required.
“The cuts to nurse training confirmed by the Department of Health will devastate patient care for years to come.”
Ms Devlin mentioned there are nearly 3,000 unfilled nursing posts within the well being service and an identical quantity within the unbiased sector.
“Measures to address this, such as through safe staffing legislation, are not being progressed because of the absence of government,” she mentioned.
“Falling out of pay parity with UK colleagues will have a further, negative, impact on the number of staff leaving the profession.
“Unless there is immediate progress, RCN members in Northern Ireland will feel they have no alternative other than to return to the picket lines, even though this is the last thing they want to do.”