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Budget not the ‘gamechanger’ the health service needs
“Giving more cash to the National Treatment Purchase Fund is an admission of failure, merely acting as a stopgap. Instead of building capacity in the public health service, the government is effectively investing in overseas and pri- vate health services.” INMO representatives have been meeting with Sláintecare management to discuss how to support the change to a new healthcare model. In addi- tion, the union is seeking more detail on funding allocated in this year’s budget. over 25 years, worked closely together and our annual joint all Ireland conference is a fantastic way to further strengthen our connection. Bringing midwives together from Northern Ireland and the Republic provides an opportunity for them to share their professional experiences and learn from one another particularly when it comes to best practice, which ultimately goes towards improving the care women and their babies receive.”
the HSE’s recruitment pause to be ended. INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “This is a business-as-usual budget. It’s not the gamechanger that frontline health workers need to end overcrowding and bring staffing up to safe levels. “We’ve been bandaging up the health service for far too long. It needs long-term, sys- temic change, but that comes with an upfront cost. The Sláin- tecare report set out a clear funding plan to transition to a new system, but the €3 billion which was formally launched in January 2018, was the first of its kind between two trade unions across borders and the Irish sea. Tony Fitzpatrick, INMO director of industrial relations said: “We’re proud to stand with our colleagues across the whole island. Working closely with the RCM and its members means that we can move mid- wifery forward on both sides of the border. “Midwifery faces real chal- lenges – particularly with
transition fund is nowhere to be seen.” On the homecare packages, she said: “New homecare supports are welcome and much-needed, as there have been very few approved since May of this year. “We now need to lift the HSE’s disastrous recruitment pause, if we are to make any dent in the hospital overcrowd- ing crisis. There are over 1,300 unfilled nursing and midwifery vacancies in the public health service.” Ms Ní Sheaghdha continued: Brexit looming. Short staffing, a global shortage of midwives, and unsafe working condi- tions are problems which our members have to face across Ireland, whether in the HSE, NHS, voluntary or private sec- tors. Working collaboratively to solve shared problems allows us to deliver effective solutions for the members of both the RCM and the INMO.” RCM director for Northern Ireland Karen Murray said: “The RCM and the INMO have, for
T h e b u d g e t i s n o t t h e ‘gamechanger’ the health service needs, the INMO has warned. The union criticised the government’s budget for the forthcoming year for failing to fund long-term systemic improvements to the health service – particularly the major funding needed to implement the Sláintecare reform plan. The union, however, wel- comed additional funding for homecare packages, along with commitments to hire extra frontline staff, but called for Professional challenges faced by midwives both in Northern Ireland and the Republic were examined at this year’s All Ireland Annual Mid- wifery Conference, which was held in Armagh last month. In the context of Brexit, the International Trade Union Part- nership forged by the INMO and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), will strengthen the abil- ity of midwives to practise and access education and profes- sional training. This partnership,
Midwives are Brexit ready with all-Ireland partnership
RCM conference 2019: INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha and INMO head of education Steve Pitman attended the opening day of the Royal College of Midwives Conference in Manchester in September.This two-day conference, which attracted over 3,500 delegates, offered the opportunity to debate the big issues affecting contemporary midwifery care. Pictured were (l-r): Cathy Ashwin, principle editor of MIDIRS; Steve Pitman; Phil Ní Sheaghdha; and Jon Skewes, RCM executive director, external relations
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