Up to 14,000 outpatient appointments cancelled as scientists take industrial action

Up to 14,000 outpatient appointments cancelled as scientists take industrial action

Medical scientists struggle with working weeks of over 60 hours while still waiting on a 2001 pay parity recommendation to be implemented.

Hospitals are cancelling elective surgeries and outpatient clinics on Wednesday as “exhausted” medical scientists take industrial action over staff shortages and a pay dispute.

This is the first time these scientists have gone on strike, as they struggle with working weeks of over 60 hours while still waiting on a 2001 pay parity recommendation to be implemented.

The HSE’s director of acute services, Liam Woods, has said that up to 14,000 outpatient appointments will be cancelled today because of the strike.

Medical scientist at University Hospital Kerry and executive committee member with the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association (MLSA), Mairead Moynihan, said this was their “final option” after years of stalled negotiations.

Today’s action means only critical tests will be processed between 8am and 8pm with a focus on ICU and emergency department patients.

GPs will not get routine tests processed, warfarin clinics are being cancelled, and patients needing discharge tests will have to stay in hospitals in many cases.

Basic hours for medical scientists are 39 a week but Ms Moynihan said: “We are working a minimum of 24 hours over every week, each person. We are exhausted.”

The rostered extra hours are for night shifts which were previously covered through a voluntary roster when staff numbers were higher. Additionally, people work even longer hours when overtime is needed to cover a sick colleague or leave.

The union estimates “up to 20%” of approved medical scientist roles are now vacant with young people going to the private sector instead.

There are fewer and fewer of us now. Most of us are working hours well beyond what we ever worked when we were in our 20s. People are leaving due to ill-health. 

“We’ve got maternity leaves coming up, they are never replaced.”

The union says unequal pay structures in laboratories are driving recruitment challenges, with pay on average 8% less than other laboratory staff.

“This was the last option for us,” she said.

The union suspended strike notice in March; however, she said neither the HSE nor the Department of Health had new proposals at the subsequent talks.

Up to five more days of industrial action are planned between now and June.

A HSE spokesperson said: “There will be disruptions to services on Wednesday, 18 May, from 8am to 8pm. The hospital will contact you if your appointment or procedure is cancelled.” 

Details of cancellations are on the HSE website. 

Mr Woods told RTÉ radio that any patients who have not been contacted should assume that their procedure is going ahead and turn up for their appointment.

Increasing workloads

This follows two years of increasing workloads as medical scientists created and ran Covid-19 testing processing. All hospital patients continue to receive a Covid test on admission.

MLSA chair Kevin O’Boyle said there is “ huge frustration and burnout” among scientists.

MLSA general secretary Terry Casey called for “meaningful talks” as he predicted delays for patients. 

He said claims for pay equality with other laboratory staff, specifically clinical biochemists, were recognised in the Report of the Expert Group on Medical Laboratory Technician/Technologist Grades in 2001.

“The then-awarded pay parity was lost within months as a result of an inadvertent procedural error in the first public service benchmarking awards in June 2002,” he said.

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