Vol. 431 No. 8
12 Ms Keogh asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to establish a nurses' compensation fund in view of the escalating level of assaults on care givers, particularly nurses, as reported at the Psychiatric Nurses Conference recently.
71 Mr. Molloy asked the Minister for Health if he has any plans to establish a nurses' compensation fund given the escalating levels of assaults on care givers, particularly nurses, as reported recently at the Psychiatric Nurses Conference.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 12 and 71 together. Injuries suffered by all health board staff, including psychiatric nurses, are covered by Employers Liability Insurance. The health boards are insured with the Irish Public Bodies National Insurance Limited for this purpose.
It is the view of the health boards that the risks to staff are adequately covered by this scheme.
Is the Minister aware that this matter was raised at the recent conference of psychiatric nurses? They made the valid point that gardaí who are injured while taking an involuntary patient to a psychiatric hospital are covered by an injuries fund whereas the same protection is not afforded to nurses. I think this is an inequity and I hope this anomaly will be taken on board by the Minister. I am not sure that the Minister is saying they are adequately protected as it is.
Every employee of a health board is covered under employees liability insurance for any injuries that occur in the carrying out of statutory duties. If employees suffer an injury they will be covered and compensated. That is the present position. There would be a difficulty in singling out one section of the health board staff, psychiatric nurses, because a range of other workers may well be injured, such as nurses in casualty, in out-patient departments, staff working with the mentally handicapped or in geriatric centres or professional staff such as social workers and others. A range of people may well be injured in the course of duty. It is important to have a comprehensive system that applies to all rather than to deal with any particular group in isolation.
