Nurses' union announces directives at Boffa

Nurses’ union MUMN has announced new industrial action at Boffa Hospital, after claiming that decisions on staffing had been taken without consultation with the union.

As from Thursday, 13 March, nurses in the dermatology outpatients will report to the manager for nursing services for their ward placements, but no service will be offered at outpatients’.

MUMN president Paul Pace said the directive will only be lifted with assurances by the health ministry, in writing, that nurses are reinstated to their Sunday services.

“Financial cuts cannot be done at the expense of patients who need nurses’ service [on Sunday] due to their working commitments during the week,” Pace said.

Pace said that nurses in the dermatology outpatients unit will be stopped from offering Sunday services, after this had been introduced some years back for patients suffering from wounds.

He said the decision was taken by clinical consultants “behind the union’s back” and that the move means that nurses loses their allowances for Sunday duty.

Pace blamed the development on the introduction of a strategic business unit (SBU) at Boffa hospital, which he claimed was now being used like a guinea pig for health minister Godfrey Farrugia.

“This is a taste of the SBU that will be definitely used at Mater Dei. This is why MUMN, being a stronger voice, has been bypassed…. MUMN cannot allow nurses and midwives to be bulldozed by any health minister,” Pace said.

“If this is the new phase of industrial relations of having decisions taken by doctors behind the union’s back, then directives will be the only way forward. The minister was capable in a few weeks to destroy and demotivate an entire hospital in several unjustified actions, turning the hospital into a battleground. The Prime Minister should take note of who is being arrogant, bypassing consultation with unions and turning an oncology hospital into a zone of industrial dispute.”