Nurses and midwives in Ireland staged protests at five hospitals after Clinical Placement Coordinators (CPCs) were excluded from a recent pay deal.
Demonstrations organised by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) were held at Beaumont Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, University Hospital Waterford, Sligo University Hospital, and Portiuncula University Hospital.
The protests highlight concerns over the treatment of CPCs, who play a crucial role in supporting undergraduate student nurses and midwives during their clinical placements.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha emphasised the essential nature of these roles, which are pivotal to the functioning of the healthcare system.
CPCs have historically been graded and paid on the Clinical Nurse/Midwife Manager scale. This year, the Expert Review Body on Nursing and Midwifery recommended additional increments on the Clinical Nurse/Midwife Manager 2 pay scale. However, INMO claims the Department of Health has blocked the recommended increases for CPCs, leaving them as the only group excluded from the increment.
This exclusion has drawn criticism for being inequitable and dismissive of their contributions.
The INMO expressed frustration over the Department of Health’s refusal to address the issue. An invitation to resolve the dispute at the Labour Court was declined, further deepening tensions between the department and the protesting healthcare professionals.
Clinical Placement Coordinator and INMO member Julie Moroney called for fairness, stating that they seek parity with their colleagues. “We are the only group on the increment that has been excluded,” she said.