The government and the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses have resolved outstanding issues, Health Minister Joseph Cassar told a press conference this morning.

He said agreement was reached after months of talks which, he said, he had enjoyed since they consisted of a frank discussion about the needs of the health sector.

He said the talks had taken months and showed how all disputes could be resolved through dialogue.

The issues centered mostly on a shortage of nursing staff and overcrowding, particularly in the emergency ward at Mater Dei.

MUMN president Paul Pace said that as a result of the talks, progress would be made in tackling the problems of the health sector. That included the recruitment of nurses, the admission into the nursing course of all those qualified to join the course, and overcrowding at the emergency ward of Mater Dei Hospital.

Priority would be given to patients on stretchers in the emergency ward, to reduce delays and hardship. Nurses would be allocated for the purpose.

Mr Pace thanked the minister for his personal involvement in the talks.

Replying to questions, Dr Cassar said the health department would review its manpower plan in consultation with the MUMN, which had its own manpower plan and which differed somewhat from the government's plan. Such a change was needed, he said, in view of new services offered at the hospital as well as the new rehabilitation services.

An audit of work processes would also be carried out as part of the manpower plan review.

Progress had also been made in the talks on the reform of the primary care sector, Dr Cassar and Mr Pace said.

The government would continue the process of recruitment foreign nurses for as long as the shortage of Maltese nurses persisted. The call is open to nurses from both the EU and non-EU countries. Some 200 applications have been received from nurses from non-EU countries. In all cases, recruitment will only be made after the qualifications of the applicants are scrutinized by the authorities, including the Nursing Council and the Public Service Commission. In most of these 200 applicants, qualifications had been recognised and the stage of visa assessment had now been reached.

Mr Pace said the union's view, as agreed with the government, was that priority was given to Maltese nurses, including those who left or retired, and wished to return. However the local market had been exhausted, hence the need for foreign nurses.

Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea, himself a nurse, took part in the talks.