Good morning delegates,

Conference resumes today at 9.30am. 

This morning will be a busy one with a packed slate of motions on the community health network model, disability sector, and general terms and conditions of employment. 

Conference is scheduled to close at 12.30pm.

There is plenty of media coverage of conference yesterday, with the Irish Independent and The Irish Times both reporting on the results of our survey on morale among health care workers, and national secretary Ashley Connolly's response to the Minister of Health's comments on the extended working week were also featured in The Irish Times, you can read that article here. Donegal News was also on site, their report is here.

RTE featured delegates and union leaders in a package piece you can watch below.

A selection of photos taken over the course of conference is available on our website, linked here. 

“We have to stop prioritising the bottom line at the cost of workers’ well-being”

Morale among health care workers was the topic of the first panel at conference on Thursday. 

To introduce the topic, researcher Tiarnán McDonough presented the findings of a study conducted by TASC for Fórsa.

Fórsa commissioned the research by the independent think-tank, given the persistent feelings of low morale being expressed by members. In the research 68% of respondents described staff morale as either ‘low’ (43%) or ‘terrible’ (25%). 

The survey found that almost half of respondents (48%) said the situation had worsened over the last two years, while over half (53%) said low morale is negatively affecting the quality of care.

The research also showed high levels of dissatisfaction with opportunities for career development (63%), and a significant number of staff continuing to work despite feeling unwell, while 68% of respondents reported feeling unwell - due to work-related stress - over the previous two years.

For the subsequent panel discussion Tiarnán was joined by Dr. Laura Bambrick, head of social policy at the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, and Niki Gallagher, head of public affairs at Ibec.

Laura Bambrick spoke about the vital need to expand our understanding of the right to disconnect, that it should be understood to cover not just a digital disconnect, but also the right to take breaks, to have lunch undisturbed, or take annual leave without feeling like you’re putting your already understaffed colleagues under further pressure. She underlined that when faced with persistent short staffing workers cannot disconnect, which in turn, exacerbates low morale. 

Niki Gallagher emphasised the importance of stakeholder engagement and the value Ibec places on its engagement with unions. She noted that Ibec supports calls for a larger state with better investment in public services.

“Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” 

General Secretary, Kevin Callinan, rallied delegates with his address, putting unions and union activists at the heart of the fight to overcome the “dark times” we live in. He said, ““we stand in the vanguard, against division, against hate, against war. For community, for justice, for peace.”

He continued “It is our responsibility to harness the power of our great movement to work towards the light.”

Kevin extolled the need for reform and modernisation within the union movement citing work already done within Fórsa to invigorate the organising power of our activist base. He called on delegates to use Local Bargaining to have conversations with coworkers and bring them into the Fórsa community.

“Let our members shape the the future of the health services”

Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD addressed delegates via video message, as she was not able to attend conference in person, however she has committed to meeting the Health and Welfare DEC later this year. 

In her message she commended Fórsa members for the vital role they play in delivering health services across the country. She then went on to outline investment in health infrastructure around the country, referencing four new hospitals which will enhance patient care around the country.

In her response head of division Ashley Connolly noted that while the promise of new infrastructure is welcome, it must be delivered publicly through Sláintecare.

She said: “We all agree on the urgent need for better infrastructure. However, this cannot remain just another promise; it must be fulfilled. Moreover, we must ensure that the resources and implementation of these services are achieved through direct employment rather than privatisation.”

The Minister also spoke about the extended working week, she said: “The government vision for health is to provide a seven-day, very balanced public service to the public, regardless of the day of the week that they get sick,” adding the HSE is planning for the delivery of all services  “relevant to improving patient flow in emergency departments and outpatient services over seven days,” she said.

Ashley responded to this by saying that Fórsa members believe in improving service delivery where and whenever possible, noting that the same point was made at divisional conference two years when then HSE chief executive announced plans for a seven-day service.

“Our message then was to affirm our willingness to engage in the discussion, and we expressed our readiness to discuss ideas. But nothing happened. No proposals were tabled, no ideas exchanged. Time passed, and we are still ready to talk, and to exchange ideas on how to action this ambitious plan for health service delivery, within the scope of existing resources,” she said.

“There are lots of our members keen to explore the opportunities. They have ideas, they know how and where it will work, and it’s a conversation we’ve been ready to have for two years.

“We also need to be clear-eyed about the implications for managing the HSE’s human resources. Employment has increased, but we continue to be concerned about employment gaps in areas that will be key to the delivery of seven-day services.

“An arbitrary application of ‘5 over 7’ rosters, or mandates for weekend work, are not going to be sufficient, and risk exposing serious resource gaps. Having said that, I know we have members with positive ideas about how to organise resources to extend the current 5-day delivery model, and we’ll approach this process positively, with the aim of exploring how to make health services more accessible, more of the time, to the people who need it,” she said.

Members set division’s direction

Delegates debated motions on the key issues that face them in their daily work from short staffing, to underfunding, covering Tusla reform, and digitalisation.

Speaking on the need to increase direct hires in the HSE Ger McLoughlin from Leitrim said: “We’ve always had  a problem with the millions and billions paid on agency staff. If there is  a need for agency staff, then there is a need for posts.” 

Petty Kaunda from the Dublin Hospitals branch spoke on Motion 39 calling on the union to fight for a proper career structure for catering officers and catering managers. She said: “Food is medicine, it is essential for patient recovery. Catering officers  and catering managers play a critical role, meeting food safety standards and supporting patients.”

Dieticians spoke in support of the motion, calling out the lack of catering officers, and underlining the need for better pay and recognition for catering officers and managers given their vital role in patient care.

The Ballinasloe branch brought forward a motion on the need to enhance access to mental health support, calling for there a preventative part of their practice, given the very difficult circumstances staff can encounter when supporting vulnerable people.

In a panel on the use of AI in health care, Molly Newell of TASC noted that while diagnostic algorithms can reduce waiting lists times, Irelands e-health landscape is particularly underdeveloped, while Gareth Murphy of the FSU noted that unions should not make the mistake of assuming they know what workers want, instead they should use research and make data informed decisions. 

A new Divisional Executive was elected by conference delegates. Clodagh Kavanagh (Cork Health and Local Government) returns as Chair, and Andy Meaney (Waterford Health and Local Government) will be vice chair. The members of the Health & Welfare DEC are: 

Trish Ahern (Limerick Health)
Helen Canning (Boards and Voluntary Agencies)
Orla Carroll (Kilkenny Health and Local Government)
Gillian Cawley (Dublin Hospitals)
Paula Cregg (Clare Health and Local Government)
Pat Fallon (Sligo Health and Local Government)
Henry Hennessy (Laois Health and Welfare)
Barry Herridge (Dublin north Health and Welfare)
Keivan Jackson (Kildare Health and Welfare)
Patricia Mellsop (Offaly Health and Local Government)
Bernadette Mooney (Dublin South Health and Welfare)
Colette O'Connell (Tipperary South Health and Community)
Corinne Phelan (Galway Health and Local Government)

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