THE CERVICALCHECK patient support group 221+ has said that the HSE needs to do “everything it can” to avoid strike action being resumed by the trade union for medical scientists in Ireland (MLSA), as the cancelling of appointments could impact women’s health outcomes. 

When medical scientists conducted two days of work stoppages last year over pay conditions, colposcopy appointments (a cervical examination that seeks to confirm cell abnormality) and BreastCheck appointments were among those cancelled and rescheduled for later dates. 

A spokesperson for the 221+ advocacy group said that the real losers in the event of strike action being taken will be HSE patients, particularly over the busy Christmas period.

“We urge both sides to do everything they can to avoid shut down as the knock-on impact of cancelling these appointments can have a huge effect on women’s health outcomes into the future,” they said. 

The MLSA has said it will be forced to initiate industrial action next week, if the HSE does not “immediately” engage to implement the Labour Court recommendation that was made on pay and career development issues, which were also the impetus for last year’s work stoppages. 

In June of this year, the Labour Court recommended that the union and the relevant bodies should work together to ensure the issues flagged in a report on pay issues experienced by HSE employed medical scientists by no later than 1 January 2024. 

The Devine Report, published last January, found that there is no reason why medical scientists should be paid on average 8% less than their colleagues in biochemistry labs. The report recommended that pay scales for the two roles should be aligned. 

The chairperson of the MLSA Máiread Moynihan said medical scientists are highly frustrated and “angered” by the delays in implementing the report. 

“This ongoing disregard by the HSE for medical scientists, and for the binding recommendations of the Labour Court is no longer acceptable or tenable for our members. Industrial Action has been sanctioned unless meaningful progress is in place by the end of the week,” she said. 

Moynihan said that the MLSA will continue to make meaningful efforts to avoid industrial action going ahead, but that it has been “left with no alternative” by the HSE. 

The MLSA General Secretary Terry Casey said that members do not want to have to take industrial action but that they have no choice if the “mechanisms of the State” aren’t followed and respected by the employer. 

Casey added that it is “critical” for the health service and hospitals that this issue is resolved, adding that there is currently a 20% vacancy rate for approved medical scientist posts in hospitals across the country. 

Last year, then CEO of the health service Paul Reid said that industrial action taken by medical scientists caused “significant” disruption to healthcare services. 

Medical scientists taking part in industrial action withdrew from routine laboratory services such as the analysing of blood and urine samples, scans and other tests from 8am to 8pm er services delays impacted emergency departments and GP testing services during a series of work stoppages carried out last May by medical scientists.