Update: The paediatric service at Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) in Tallaght and at Crumlin Hospital will be impacted by the planned industrial action by SIPTU tomorrow, Children’s Health Ireland have said.
The 24-hour stoppage will start at 8am on Wednesday morning and will end at 8am on Thursday morning.
They said that CHI at Temple Street is not affected by this industrial action and services at CHI at Temple Street will operate as normal.
They said that contingency plans are being put in place to ensure patient safety and wherever possible to ensure minimum disruption to patient services.
They have advised parents and guardians should attend their inpatient and/or outpatient / radiology appointments as scheduled and are asking them to consider other treatment options such as their GP and GP out of hours service before attending the Emergency Departments tomorrow.
They said that some of the restaurants and coffee shops used by staff and members of the public will be closed during the period of industrial action.
Earlier: The HSE has said patients are being contacted by their local hospital or healthcare facility in the event that tomorrow's strike action affects a procedure or service.
A 24-hour stoppage looks set to go ahead after talks between SIPTU, the HSE and Department of Public Expenditure at the Workplace Relations Commission yesterday failed to reach an agreement.
38 hospital and healthcare facilities will be affected as 10,000 health support workers take strike action with the likes of cleaners, chefs and porters downing tools in a dispute over a jobs evaluation scheme.
The HSE said that it regrets that the industrial action will affect patient and client services.
In a statement, the health service said it is "continuing to engage on contingency planning with SIPTU at local hospital and healthcare facility level."
The HSE said it "is to ensure minimum disruption to patient services, in so far as possible, and to ensure patient dignity and that essential daily care remains in place."
They said the services most like to be impacted will be:
- Deferral of some elective inpatient procedures
- Significant cancellation of scope procedures
- Reduced outpatient services
- Reduced laboratory services for GPs
- Reduced catering services for both patients and staff
- Reduced operating theatre activity.
The HSE statement said that the public would be kept informed "of any developments that may affect patient services" via their website and social media channels.
