Student demo about future of Irish healthcare

Following today’s student nurses and midwives demonstration the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called on the Minister for Health to provide an independent report to the INMO on behalf of student nurses and midwives which considered their claims for full restoration of previous pay cuts for those in their internship year and improved conditions for those on clinical placement.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:

The Minister has had the McHugh Report into student nurses and midwives’ pay and conditions on his desk for nearly three months and only for the fact that student nurses and midwives were taking to the streets today have we seen leaks of the report. 
The Minister for Health and his officials must directly engage with student nurses and midwives and their representatives. As case numbers begin to rise yet again and hospital admissions increase, our students need clarity. 
How the Government treats student nurses and midwives who are scrubbing in to work in these extremely difficult times for our health service will have a lasting impact on the recruitment and retention of nurses into the future. As global borders begin to re-open, we cannot have our young nurses and midwives in training believe that their only option for decent treatment is to travel abroad.
Today’s demonstration is not just about the pay and conditions for student nurses and midwives – it is about the future of our healthcare system. 
Student nurses and midwives have been on the frontline as part of their placements since the start of the pandemic and they are exhausted, frustrated, and disillusioned with the State’s treatment of them. Their goodwill and patience is running out. 
Action must be taken to improve conditions for them as a matter of urgency in order to secure the future workforce of the Irish healthcare system.

ENDS