Cardiac surgeries in five hospitals have been cancelled due to a strike by 25 perfusionists, who are members of the Fórsa trade union.
Perfusionists are cardiovascular specialists who manage the machines that temporarily take over the work of the heart and lungs during surgery.
Fórsa has accused the Health Service Executive of taking a unilateral decision to break a long-standing pay link between perfusionists and medical scientists.
The union also said that the HSE has refused to implement a Labour Court recommendation to restore that link, issued in January this year.
According to Fórsa, today’s 24-hour strike has led to the cancellation of 14 cardiac surgeries, including two paediatric cases.
“That should be really regrettable for senior leaders in the HSE, that rather than implement a Labour Court recommendation, they have forced 25 of their staff, which is the entire cohort of perfusionists in the country, to take industrial action,” said Fórsa National Secretary Linda Kelly.
The union said that restoring the pay link would cost around €233,000 a year.
“We’ve also been able to successfully demonstrate to the HSE that much of that could be garnered from savings from locum costs, which have increased since this dispute has occurred, because of the now two-tier pay scale that’s in situ between public and private perfusionists,” Ms Kelly said.
The union has warned that if the dispute is not resolved, there will be a longer 48-hour strike on 16 and 17 June.
The five hospitals impacted are the Mater Hospital, St James’s Hospital, Children’s Health Ireland Crumlin, University Hospital Galway and Cork University Hospital.
The HSE said cardiac elective procedures have been deferred in these hospitals and will be rescheduled.
“Any patient that may have had a cardiac operation scheduled for today has been contacted,” a spokesperson said.
“Derogations have been put in place to manage any emergencies as they arise, in agreement with Fórsa,” they added.
Perfusionists are pictured on the picket line outside the Mater Hospital in Dublin
The HSE said it remains firmly committed to continuing engagement with the union in respect of the Labour Court recommendation with a view to avoiding further industrial action.
The Irish Patients’ Association has called on Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to personally intervene to ensure the dispute is resolved without delay.
“Cardiac surgery patients cannot continue to carry the burden of a dispute that has a known cost and a clear resolution,” said IPA chairman Stephen McMahon.
“The minister must act now,” Mr McMahon added.
Kate Johnson, a perfusionist at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, has said that it was frustrating to be on the picket line.
“It’s very frustrating for the surgeons, nurses and anesthetists that we work with,” she said.
“And of course, it’s extremely frustrating for our patients who have been waiting a long time for a very serious surgery, and who may have had that surgery cancelled today, so it’s really a shame on the HSE for letting it come this far,” she added.
“The patients that are going to be missing out on the surgeries today is a big concern for us,” said Basil Henrick, who also works as a perfusionist at the Mater.
“With waiting lists, we don’t know the knock-on impact will be.
“Nobody wanted to be out here today and that’s really upsetting, as well as being frustrating,” he added.