MUMN warns of industrial action at old people's home

The Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses has warned that it will order industrial action on Monday over the worsening problem of a lack of support staff for nurses at St Vincent de Paule Home.

The union said it had been promised a solution to this problem for months, but the situation had only become more acute.

The situation was especially serious in the women’s wards, where at night a nurse and a care worker had 44 residents under their care. The collective agreement said there should be at least a nurse and two supporting staff.

The union said nurses often could nto go out on leave, and the situation was made worse when three support staff were recently moved to Gozo hospital, even though it seemed there was no manpower shortage there.