Monday 14th September 2009
Medical Card centralisation update
The National Secretary of the Health and Welfare Division, Kevin Callinan, has written to health branches in the division with an update on the issue of the HSE’s moves to centralise the processing of medical cards to the Primary Care Reimbursement Services (PCRS) office in Dublin. more
Wednesday 1st July 2009
Amendment to HSE Codes allow trade union activists to speak freely
CHANGES TO the HSE Code of Standards and Behaviour were recently confirmed following written submissions by trade union representatives to the HSE. Specific changes to the code concerning the freedom of trade union representatives to make public statements in their union capacity were particularly welcome. more
Wednesday 1st July 2009
New book documents Irish health ‘apartheid’
NO ISSUE has inflamed public opinion in the last decade than the condition of Irish health services. As the economic crisis bites deeper, and threats of funding cuts to health services are realised, health issues get a daily grilling that often contains more heat than light. more
Wednesday 17th June 2009
IMPACT meets HSE on medical cards issue
IMPACT met with the HSE today in relation to its decision to centralise the processing of all medical card applications and, in particular, its threat to immediately transfer the work from the Dublin North West LHO office to the Primary Care Reimbursement Service. more
Thursday 11th June 2009
Building Union Strength
IMPACT and its members in the health services are facing major challenges on a number of fronts e.g. job security, staffing levels, pay and conditions of employment.
In response to this, the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive is launching an initiative aimed at improving the union’s activity levels locally. more
Monday 18th May 2009
Early retirement, career break and shorter working year schemes announced
The Department of Health has issued circulars setting out how the Government’s early retirement scheme will operate in the public health services. It has also issued circulars on the new shorter working week scheme and the new career break scheme.
Read the early retirement circular HERE.
Read the Department of Healths Q&A on early retirement scheme HERE.
Read the shorter working year circular HERE.
Read the career break circular HERE.
Friday 15th May 2009
Get active in health
IMPACT is running a series of regional workshops aimed at current and new IMPACT representatives in the health area, including members from vocational groups. The initiative aims to encourage more people to become part of the IMPACT team by helping us communicate in the workplace. Participants will learn and practice some key organisational and communications skills including effective communications with members and branch development planning. If you want to become more involved in the union, and are willing to take on some voluntary work, this is the workshop for you. And you don’t have to commit to taking on a negotiation or grievance-handling role if you attend a workshop. Click HERE to download a copy of the brouchure or contact Julie Healy on jhealy@impact.ie.
Friday 15th May 2009
Mid-west A&E plan risks lives
An HSE cost-saving plan, which has halved A&E services in the Mid-West region, is putting lives at risk, according to IMPACT. Delegates at the union’s health conference last week were told that local hospital services had been axed before promised community services, which were supposed to replace them, were established. more
Friday 15th May 2009
IMPACT to oppose centralisation of medical card scheme
Delegates at IMPACT’s biennial Health conference in Castlebar last week unanimously backed an emergency motion to oppose the HSE’s attempts to centralise medical card processing. The motion includes a provision to oppose the scheme with industrial action if necessary. Staff working at medical card offices throughout the country have already been instructed by the union not to cooperate with attempts to centralise the service. more
Thursday 7th May 2009
Clerical and admin staff defended
IMPACT’s Health and Welfare division conference backed motions defending clerical and admin staff in the HSE. Sinead Wynne of the Clare branch of IMPACT told delegates that scapegoating clerical and administrative staff in the HSE just distracts from the real problems of the organisation. She told delegates that the union needs to ensure that the HSE is managed in a way that meets the needs of the patient, and where the contribution of admin and clerical staff is valued. more
Wednesday 6th May 2009
IMPACT victory in Sligo general hospital
IMPACT trade union members working at Sligo General Hospital achieved a significant breakthrough when the HSE confirmed it would instruct management at Sligo General Hospital to rescind recent decisions. The move will see the restoration of the sick pay scheme for all employees. more
Thursday 23rd April 2009
IMPACT tells members not to co-operate with 'devastating' HSE staffing restrictions
IMPACT trade union today (Tuesday) instructed its members not to co-operate with a new HSE circular, which the union says would devastate services to the sick by axing up to 14,000 vital temporary and locum posts while imposing more pay cuts on many health workers, on top of the 7.5% public service levy and this month's budget measures. more
Wednesday 8th April 2009
IMPACT pursues HSE on 2008 LRC settlement
The 2008 Labour Relations Commission (LRC) settlement between IMPACT and the HSE has been referred back to the LRC by the union and a hearing is taking place today, Wednesday 8th April. more
Friday 6th March 2009
Health Service Developments
At its meeting on 2nd March 2009 the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee gave consideration to how best to deal with important health service developments. more
