The HSE regrets that industrial action planned by SIPTU tomorrow Thursday, June 20th 2019 will affect patient and client services.
The industrial action is planned to take place at 38 hospitals and healthcare facilities, and will involve a significant number of staff who make an essential contribution to the effective running of our health services every day.
This afternoon, the HSE is continuing to engage on contingency planning with SIPTU at local hospital and healthcare facility level. This 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.
Initial feedback from our hospitals this morning shows the services mostly impacted will include;
- 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 services impacted will vary across the hospital sites.
Patients are being contacted by their local hospital or healthcare facility in the event that their scheduled procedure or service will be affected by the dispute.
While every effort will be made to minimise impact on patients, industrial action involving these essential staff will have a significant impact on services.
We will keep the public informed of any developments that may affect patient services through the national and local media, our social media channels and our website – www.hse.ie.
