NI intensive care unit nurses quitting jobs to walk dogs for living because of pressure from Covid-19

People Before Profit MLA, Gerry Carroll, Alliance Party MLA, Paula Bradshaw and DUP MLA, Pam Cameron all raised concerns on behalf of ICU nurses all over Northern Ireland during a meeting of the Stormont health committee on Thursday morning.

The meeting was with Health Minister, Robin Swann, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael McBride and the Head of Northern Ireland’s Covid-19 Vaccine Programme, Patricia Donnelly - all three attended the meeting via videolink.

Health Minister Swann had a limited amount of time he could appear before the committee which meant members were not able to scrutinise issues as much as they would have liked.

Just before he exited the meeting, Minister Swann was asked by Gerry Carroll about the pressure ICU nurses in Northern Ireland are currently under.

“We spoke to ICU nurses this week and they told us they are administering last rites to patients, ringing families,” said the People Before Profit, MLA.

“They are at absolute breaking point, they are really stressed, they are being told by their GPs to take time off work but they can’t.”

Mr. Carroll added: “They have a list of concerns but they don’t feel like these concerns are being taken seriously by the chief executives of the health trusts or in the upper echelons of the Department of Health.

“These nurses are doing the work of band six workers but getting paid a band five wage.”

Minister Swann said he was aware of the pressure the nurses were under and explained the DoH is working on addressing the issue concerning salaries.

“To say the stresses and strains of our ICU nurse are not filtering through to my department is an understatement - I am fully aware of the stresses and strains they are under,” said Minister Swann.

“Our chief nursing officer is currently doing some work on a banding issue around band five and band six - ICU nurses and trusts are aware of this.

“If any of our staff need time off work because of stress etc they are entitled to take this time - it’s available to anyone who needs this help and support.”

Alliance Party, MLA, Paula Bradshaw, quizzed the minister on where his department was with the introduction of specific legislation that would help address the concerns of the ICU nurses.

“You promised many months ago you would bring forward safe staffing legislation - a lot of what myself and Gerry heard when we were talking with the ICU nurses was that they are not working in a safe environment. When will you be bringing the safe staffing legislation forward to this committee for scrutiny?”

Minister Swann replied: “That is one of the pieces of work the Executive committed to and it is already ongoing.

“The work has started but I don’t know if we will have time to get it through during this mandate.

“But what I will says is that for the sake of our workforce we have to get right.”

Speaking after Minister Swann left the meeting, DUP MLA Pam Cameron said she was “horrified” at the response he gave when asked about safe staffing legislation within the health service.

Ms. Cameron said it was of the utmost importance particularly because of what she had discovered while meeting with the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) on Wednesday evening.

“Certainly, I had a long meeting last night with RCN and it’s horrendous what the nurses are facing.

“I was so disappointed at the response Paula (Bradshaw) got when she asked about the legislation for safe staffing - to hear a conversation has started - I am horrified - the nurses feel they are in much worse position than they were in a year ago - it’s shameful.

“I am hearing about ICU nurses resigning their posts to go and dog walk and to work in supermarkets, such is the pressure they are under.”