The Labour Court has found that the HSE West was wrong not to consult with staff before it shut down 22 acute in-patient beds in Ballinasloe’s psychiatric unit in 2012. The ruling, issued this week, found that management’s decision to go ahead with the closure was in breach of a consultation agreement with unions, and instructed management that it must comply with these agreements in the future.

The case was brought to the Labour Court by IMPACT, along with Siptu and the PNA. IMPACT assistant general secretary, Padraig Mulligan, said there has been deep and widespread anger about the closure and the way it was handled by HSE management, with staff only learning of the decision through the media.

Padraig explained “The first that unions and staff knew of this plan was when it was announced on national and local radio.  Having announced this significant change the manager then went on holidays, leaving nobody to communicate why the decision had been made or what was going to happen to staff. It was handled in a really slipshod manner.”

Padraig said that management had previously made commitments to staff about the retention of the acute beds in the unit. “Staff faced immediate uncertainty and redeployment despite the commitments to them and to the community served by the unit. This was at a time of significant wage cuts and the costs of putting new arrangements in place for transport and childcare put a number of staff in an immediately difficult financial position” he said.

Padraig welcomed the Labour Court’s finding and said that it had vindicated the position of the staff and unions involved.