Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

There is a big disconnect between what we are being told by those who work in the health service, and those who use the health service, and the tone and content of the Minister's narrative. He painted a very rosy picture of the health service and the success of the Government in addressing the staffing crisis - that is what it is. Every single report we get from people using the health service, from those trying to get into accident and emergency departments or from patients in hospitals refers to this unsafe and understaffed situation. This is what the healthcare workers are also saying. It is unsafe for the staff and the patients. That is a pretty damning indictment.

The INMO did a survey of several hospitals last year. I will pick St. Vincent's University Hospital because it is near me. In terms of its findings, 70% of nurses and midwives stated they felt pressured to work extra shifts; 73% said they had worked additional unpaid hours over their contracted hours in the previous 12 months; 36% said they had been asked to defer annual leave or work during annual leave in the previous 12 months; 65% said they had considered leaving their current work area due to workplace stress during the previous month; 67% said their work environment was emotionally exhausting to a "high" or "very high" degree; 82% said they "always" or "often" felt worn out by the end of the day; 69% said they "always" or "often" felt exhausted at the thought of another day at work; 25% said they had to attend their GP or another healthcare professional as a result of work-related stress in the previous 12 months; and 65% said they had experienced verbal abuse or threatening behaviour in the previous 12 months. There were similar figures in Blanchardstown, in addition to another category. Some 91% stated that based on their professional judgment, the current staffing levels and skill mix in their area was not appropriate for meeting clinical and patient work demands. Of these, 81% felt that patient safety was put at risk "often", "very often" or "always". That is shocking stuff.

To cut a long story short, I was talking to Phil Ní Sheaghdha today. She said that the framework on self-staffing and skill mix needs to be underpinned with legislation. It must not be a standard or a recommendation. It must be a legislative requirement. The HIQA and the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, need powers to regulate to ensure the implementation of the framework. The framework is on a scientific basis for patients and staff safety. That is what it is; therefore, it needs to be legally implemented. Patient safety legislation must be accelerated and brought forward and must become a legal requirement of our health service. The HSA and HIQA need to be given the power to regulate to ensure we have safe staffing levels in our hospitals.

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