Today nurses and midwives are protesting at University Maternity Hospital Limerick. The HSE pay and numbers strategy cut approximately 30 to 35 front-line nursing and midwifery posts, imposing new staff ceilings, recruitment limits and pay spend caps. Many areas of the hospital are running rosters at 50% below safe levels. The neonatal unit is beyond safe capacity while awaiting HSE approval for service expansion. The labour ward has a daily deficit of midwives. This has been raised repeatedly with management. A HIQA review found the situation to be unsustainable. The HSE must uphold the agreement on staffing from 2015. The neonatal unit expansion must be funded. Safe staffing is needed and the hospital needs to be protected from the HSE pay and numbers strategy.

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