The Oireachtas Health Committee is to hold a hearing into the health, safety and well-being of front-line health workers.
The hearing will involve healthcare trade unions and will focus on burnout, assaults, bullying and harassment.
It comes after Lunchtime Live spent the last eight days highlighting the issue of bullying and harassment in the health service.
The Newstalk show has been inundated with stories from health workers who say they have been bullied in the workplace since it first highlighted the issue – and Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane has now requested an Oireachtas hearing on February 8th.
I am pleased that the Oireachtas Health committee at my request will hold a hearing on the 8th February on the health, safety & wellbeing of front line health care workers with health care trade unions. We will focus on burnout, assaults, bullying & harassment. @LunchtimeLiveNT
— David Cullinane T.D. (@davidcullinane) January 18, 2023
A follow up meeting with the HSE will need to happen. At a time of crisis in our health services we have a duty of care to do all we can to support those working on the front line. @INMO_IRL @siptuhealth @forsa_union_ie @IMO_IRL
— David Cullinane T.D. (@davidcullinane) January 18, 2023
“I am pleased that the Oireachtas Health Committee, at my request, will hold a hearing on the 8th February on the health, safety and wellbeing of front line health care workers with healthcare trade unions,” he wrote on Twitter.
“We will focus on burnout, assaults, bullying and harassment.
He said a follow-up meeting with the HSE will be needed noting that, “at a time of crisis in our health services, we have a duty of care to do all we can to support those working on the front line”.
This morning @DonnellyStephen responded to reports on @LunchtimeLiveNT about bullying in the HSE. @andreagilligan will have more from 12pm. pic.twitter.com/UyEQlxXqAM
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) January 18, 2023
Speaking on his way into Cabinet this morning, the Health Minister insisted Government was taking the Lunchtime Live revelations “very, very seriously” – and warned there can be “no tolerance” for workplace bullying in the HSE.
Stephen Donnelly said bullying is “never acceptable” and confirmed that he would be discussing the issue with his department and the HSE.
Lunchtime Live has been asking the HSE, Minister Donnelly and his junior ministers to come on and discuss the issue ever since it began airing healthcare workers stories; however, none have been available.
In a statement yesterday, the HSE said it wouldn’t be coming on the show and had “nothing to add” to its initial three-line statement on the matter.
Kicking off the show yesterday, Lunchtime Live host Andrea Gilligan said the HSE’s refusal to put forward a spokesperson is “just not good enough”.
“You are the employer and your staff have been crying out to this program for the past seven days, detailing and recalling these stories of bullying allegations.
“They are calling for action, they are demanding cultural change and I just think that a one-line statement today saying we won’t be putting anybody forward and we have nothing further to add just doesn’t cut it.”
Lunchtime Live has been inundated with reports of bullying in the health system from nurses and healthcare workers since it began covering the story.
Meanwhile, staff at some hospitals have been warned not to talk to the media or comment on social media while Lunchtime Live highlights the claims.
The HSE has been contacted for comment and invited to come on the show to discuss the claims.
You can listen back to just some of the HSE bullying reports aired on Lunchtime Live here:
