Strikers win reprieve

Amanda Crook

November 23, 2007

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Karen Reissman with her supporters

STRIKING nurses threatened with being reported to their professional body for misconduct in an increasingly bitter dispute have won a temporary reprieve.

In a move which could lead to them being banned from nursing, Sheila Foley, head of mental health in Manchester, threatened 100 staff who have been on a continuous walkout for the last two weeks that she would report them to their professional bodies for breaking their code of conduct.

However, after three hours of talks senior Unison officials said today they were given a guarantee staff will not be referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) - although the M.E.N. understands the amnesty will only last two weeks.

The assurance was given after union officials agreed to talk about providing emergency care for patients during the strike, which was sparked when a union leader was sacked. The reprieve will expire at the same time as the sacked rep's appeal ends. Frank Hont, regional secretary of Unison, said: "We hope this is the start of the process of resolving this dispute."

A spokesman for Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust said: "The meeting provided an opportunity for open and honest exchange of views."

The strikers want sacked union rep Karen Reissmann, who spoke to the media about NHS cuts, to be reinstated. But Mrs Foley said it was putting patients and carers at risk and staff were being irresponsible.

At a Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust board meeting yesterday she said: "The medical staff and an increasing number of other staff have said they consider the ongoing action is having an increasingly damaging effect on patients and carers.

"I will have no other alternative than to report all qualified members of striking staff to their responsible professional body as I believe their actions breach their code of conduct."

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Tony Dekker (23/11/2007 at 19:16)

looks like sheila foley has failed in her attempt to sack even more nurses..

does she get anything right?

wkdboy1, Woodley (23/11/2007 at 21:02)

Looks like we are starting to get our own way at last, maybe now we can have a national strike and get loony labour thrown out. I love to live in a dream world, as this will never happen.

Phil Coombs, Australia (24/11/2007 at 00:56)

As a nurse in mental health I sympathise with the nurses on strike with campaigning for a cause they believe in, however I find it difficult to condone the striking which has placed their patients at risk. Surely they can campaign without compromising their patients health needs. I find this deplorable.The bigger picture are the changes to the mental health services of Manchester which do need to be modernised to meet the changing needs of clients but moreover to make better use of services within a crippling and under funded service.The staffing and logistics of these changes have not been thought out too well granted, but changes do need to be made in the way that services are run.Research evidence suggests this is so.Surely all sides should wake up, get on with modernising services in a grown up fashion and stop putting clients at risk.

Phil Coombs, Australia (24/11/2007 at 05:24)

Whilst I acknowledge nurses right to campaign against such things I find it deplorable that they are putting patients at risk through this strike action. The bigger picture is being lost. Mental health services in Manchester do need to be modernised to fall in line with best practice although the management of these changes do leave a lot to be desired.Both sides need to be committed to giving the best system and delivery of care they can and the quicker this is treated in a more mature and sympathetic manner the better for patients. People are forgetting the aims of the service and looking to their own gains. Get it sorted!

Fran M, Stockport (24/11/2007 at 16:49)

Sympathy is fine and stating that nurses have the right to campaign against cuts is all well and good. But then to criticise the nurses for standing up for one of their reps who has been sacked for exactly that is inconsistent. The bigger picture is not being lost either. This is the thin end of the wedge in beating down legitimate opposition to damaging changes. Foley escapes criticism of Phil Coombes when it is she who has orchestrated this dispute. She arrived in April and quickly identified a high profile target and by June had suspended a Unison rep and drew the battle lines. Foley can't win the public debate with reasoned argument so resorted to type as bullies always do. She had five months to reflect on her action before abusing her power and sacking Karen Reissmann. And not for anything to do with her job but for having the temerity to exercise her freedom of speech. Foley's action do not present a picture of a reasonable person. She must bear complete responsibility for this strike as she has spurned every reasonable attempt to prevent it. Foley will be gone in April but her dire legacy will be with the trust for a long time.
The appeal for Karen will be held on 10th. December and will be heard by 3 non executive directors. As an observer of this dispute I have no confidence in this appeal and believe that the decision is already made and the appeal will be merely a PR exercise.
In this respect I think that even more damage will be done to MMHSCT because it will go to tribunal and it is difficult to see it being lost by Karen in front of reasonable and impartial judgment. This is almost certainly going to lead to a judgment of unlimited and exemplary damages against the trust. But by then Foley will be gone with £135 in her Dubai bound back pocket.

peter walker (25/11/2007 at 09:11)

I feel that some of your correspondents are missing the point. Karen spoke out because she felt that patient care was being placed at risk due to the decision to close a ward and reduce the number of CPN's from 16 to 4. Unlike the gentleman in Australia I was present at the rally yesterday and heard support from people such as the local MP, patients who confirmed the special care they recieved from Karen and her colleagues and the concern they had over the new proposals.
Karen's colleagues took this step because Karen was sacked, they were not on strike when they were expressing concerns over the proposals.

As an NHS worker I know that strike action is only a last resort. I would hope that people would come out on strike for me if I was sacked. Karen wasn't sacked for being a bad nurse (she was promoted the day she was suspended)she was sacked for allegedly bringing the trust into disrepute by speaking against cuts ( not modernisation)cutting staff is not modernisation

Phil Coombs, Australia (26/11/2007 at 01:42)

My point is this
Both sides need to develop strategies to improve services in a trust that has made historical financial mistakes. The sacking of Karen is just a continuation of ill thought out moves.Striking excaerbates risks to patients and surely they must come first and not suffer even more!
The bigger problems are Government and national wide.The Trust and workers need to come together for the common good and stop behaving like this.The competency and dedication of workers at the Trust is exemplary and the Trust has the potential to provide first rate care. However, being on strike is only making things worse for patients at the moment.

peter walker (26/11/2007 at 22:06)

strikes are the last resort and it's a decison not taken lightly. Karen and her colleagues were rightly concerned with the proposals as were many other NHS staff and many patients.

The staff are on strike because Karen was sacked. If this is allowed to go unchallenged then any union rep who raises concerns can be sacked, this isnt democracy.This isnt modernisation it is cutting services and patients will suffer. Well done for Karen and her colleagues for making a stand.I was speaking to many trade union reps on Saturday who will support Karen because it might be us next. We dont get paid to be union reps we do it to help others and tomake a difference.

Katt (27/11/2007 at 08:31)

Unfortunatly Phil, your appeal for common sence and understanding fall's on deaf ears as far as Ms Foley is concerned. Hence the threat to all the staff involved by going to their professional bodies. This women seems not only to be way out of her depth, but determined to bring the whole system down with her. When as stated before she can pick up her final cheque, surely more then most nurses can earn in several years, wipe the dust of Manchester from her feet and move on to pastures new. We, the ordinary people will be left behind. I do however have one thing to thank Ms. Foley for, she got me off my backside and down to take part in Saturdays rally.

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