QEH omission ‘corrected’ – Minister

Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight has endorsed Government’s move to ensure a trade union representative sits on the board of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

Pointing out that Government and trade unions had “locked heads” in the past regarding issues at the state-run QEH, she acknowledged that the exclusion of a trade union representative on that board had been a mistake.

However, while leading off debate on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Amendment Bill, 2022, in the Senate this morning, she said that was now being corrected.

Last year, Government and the Unity Workers Union (UWU), which represents some nurses at the QEH, were embroiled in a highly-publicized dispute which led to scores of nurses staging protest action.

“One of the very, very important additions to the board is that of a trade union representative. The Government essentially has done a course correct. We recognize there was an absence of a trade union representative and in the context of this amendment we have ensured that we have moved to include that level of representation that was previously missing and importantly so.

“I want to address the elephant in the room because I think that we are all aware that in the context of the healthcare system and particularly the QEH, the Government and the trade union movement have locked heads at some point in time. The fact that we have moved to ensure that in the context of this amendment that we have a trade union representative is testament to the fact that we are not bringing together an amalgam of persons just to be able to sing Kumbaya and to say yes, but that we understand that it is important to have different voices contend in the context of the improvement of our healthcare system,” Dr Munro-Knight said.

The amendment will see the number of members on the QEH’s board moving from 13 to 15.

Dr Munro-Knight said the decision to increase the number of persons on the QEH’s board was made to ensure it was equipped with the necessary skills and human resources.

“This bill essentially is to alter the constitution of the QEH board. Currently, that board stands at 13 and this amendment will move the constitution of that QEH board to 15 members. As we move, particularly in the context of our healthcare system to make it fit for purpose, it is incumbent upon us that we address the issue first of leadership. Leadership of any institution sets the tone, sets the manner, sets the agenda for how that institution will run and evolve, not only to address the concerns and issues of today but also to look forward to be able to anticipate issues and challenges for that institution,” she said.

“Many of us would recognize that if we look at the COVID-19 pandemic we could not have anticipated the mammoth task that would have been ahead of us as a country but that faced our healthcare sector in trying to address this issue. In that context, it is extremely important that the QEH ensures that it has at its disposal all of the necessary skills and human resources that would be critical to ensuring that it can meet the challenge, that it can respond adequately to challenges that are current and challenges that are to come.” (RB)