Fiona Devlin at RCN Congress 2022, photographed by Steve Baker.
Members at RCN Congress have called for all political parties alongside the UK government to commit to the immediate formation of a fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly. This is to address the escalating crisis within nursing and health care services in Northern Ireland.
In an emergency debate today (8 June), RCN Council member and Chair of the RCN Northern Ireland Board, Fiona Devlin said: “Once again we meet for RCN Congress at a time when there is no functioning government in Northern Ireland.
“We need a fully functioning Executive and Assembly to provide strong and accountable political leadership to the health and social care system, and to make the decisions that we all know are desperately needed to address the escalating crisis in relation to safe staffing, service transformation and rebuilding, and fair pay for our members.
“With no Executive, and a Minister for Health unable to make key decisions, there is a real danger that our members will receive no pay award for 2022-2023.”
It was members’ concern over chronic short staffing and unfair pay in Northern Ireland that led them to go on strike two years ago for the first time in the RCN’s history.
It was that action that brought the defunct Northern Ireland Executive back together back then.
Earlier this week, RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive Pat Cullen, who led the strike action in Northern Ireland in her former role as RCN Director there, used her speech at RCN Congress to express her dismay at the situation. “We should not have to go on strike again,” she exclaimed.
“To those from any government listening to my words: we’ve had enough, the patients and those we care for have had enough. We’re tired, fed up, demoralised, and some of us are leaving the profession because we’ve lost hope. Do something about it.”
Meanwhile, the UK government is also in disarray, following the vote of confidence in the Prime Minister on Monday (6 June) – with only 60% of his party backing him. The RCN has sent a clear message that the government needs to get its act together. At Congress, members signed a letter addressed to Boris Johnson.
It said: “Westminster is turning in on itself once again and not focusing on the real issues – waiting lists; staffing shortages; fair pay; cost of living; social care and supporting nursing students. Get a grip. Every day you focus on yourselves, patient care suffers.”
