Psychiatric nurses working in University College Hospital Galway (UCHG) have begun industrial action over staffing and safety issues.

According to the nurses, who are all members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), there have already been 36 assaults on staff in the hospital's acute psychiatric unit so far this year.

Earlier this month, staff in the Galway West Mental Health Services voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action in response to what they claim is the ‘failure of HSE management to address staffing and safety issues' at the unit.

"The PNA has been highlighting the staffing shortage and the serious levels of assaults on staff at the UCHG unit for months and has been left with no option but to proceed to industrial action in an effort to get serious engagement on these issues from HSE management," commented PNA industrial officer, Peter Hughes.

He pointed out that the PNA had entered into Labour Relations Commission-chaired talks with the HSE ‘in good faith a month ago, only to have the HSE issue warnings of sanctions against 10 nurses who did not take up duty in the unit on April 22 on health and safety grounds.'

From today, psychiatric nurses will only undertake essential core duties at the unit.

The PNA insisted that it has been left with no option but to proceed with this action.