Dear Members

I hope you are all well as we come to the end of another busy year. Despite the successful conclusion of the public service pay talks in the early part of the year with pay increases of 4.25% this year, 3% in 2025, i.e. 2% from the 1st of March, 1% from the 1st of August, and a further 2% in 2026. The past 12 months have been dominated by the imposition of the HSE recruitment embargo in November 2023 and its successor, the pay and numbers strategy.

The PNA strongly urged the HSE to exempt mental health services from the embargo taking into consideration the magnitude of the staffing crisis in the services and the impact on patients, families, and the wider community. Incredibly, the HSE declined to exempt mental health services, and refused to acknowledge the historical deficits that the service was already suffering from.

In July, the embargo was lifted and replaced with the Pay and Numbers Strategy. Since the lifting of the embargo, there has been minimal recruitment of psychiatric nurses into the services, except for the 2024 graduates.

Indeed, the recruitment of our very own graduates was only achieved after a concerted effort by PNA. Despite the assurance in February 2024 by the National Director of Human Resources that all new graduates would be offered permanent contracts of employment, PNA was forced into the position of embarking on industrial action in Mayo and Galway/Roscommon to ensure that these highly qualified graduates were recruited to assist with the staffing crisis.

The recruitment of the graduates was eventually resolved in all services throughout the country.

The reality of the Pay and Numbers Strategy is that it is a blunt instrument which could effectively wipe out over 700 vacant psychiatric nursing posts in mental health.

The 53^rd annual delegate conference was held on knightsbrook hotel in trim Co Meath on the 18^th and 19^th of April. The Annual Delegate conference is a hugely important event in the Calander as it is where the Pna as a union develops its policy stand on issues and through the process of presenting motions to conference gets the issues affecting its members on the ground. This year been no different 62 motions were put to conference for debate. On Day 1 Mr Ollie Byrne presented the Treasurer Report for adoption and reported the stable financial footing of the union.

Mr Peter Hughes General Secretary addressed conference in the afternoon with the Minister for Mental Health and Older Persons Mary Butler in attendance. Peter welcomed Minister Butler to conference and outlined the number of issues effecting mental health services from staffing concerns to the high levels of waiting times and levels of services within the CAMHS services. Minister Butler addressed conference and acknowledged the issues raised and her commitment to engage with the PNA going forward.

On Day Two Our National Chairperson Ms Colette Walsh addressed Conference where she thanked the Branch officials and members on the ground for their continued work and commitment to the PNA and noted the number of new members attending Conference. Colette also voiced her concerns on issues within the mental health services.

As is the case the social side of conference and the ability to network and meet colleagues from all over the country is an important part of attending conference every year, to this end I am pleased to confirm that Conference 2025 will be going west for the first time in a number of years and will be in the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport Co Mayo on the 3^rd and 4^th of April . Looking forward to meeting all delegates there.

Slan,

Ollie Byrne,

National Treasurer.

Enjoy the Photo Album !

I wish to refer to important and significant changes to arrangements for Occupational Supplementary Pensions (OSP), the implications to A1 stamp PRSI contributors and their entitlements to maintaining OSP payment when returning to work post-retirement. This is an issue that has been raised at our ADC for several years and has been continuously advocated by the PNA since. We believe that the new circular will significantly improve the matter. The new arrangements are retrospective and will apply to all applications from August 1st 2024.

PNA Branch Officials Training 2024 Mullingar  Testimonial from  Ruth Casey Longford/Westmeath Mental Health Services

I had the opportunity to attend the PNA Branch Officials Training in May in Athlone.

Due to COVID and ongoing staff shortages over the past 4 years I had missed the previous trainings.

The group this year consisted of approximately 25 members from various services around the country. It was a fantastic opportunity to finally meet the PNA Office Team in person also.

Having attended alone I must admit I was slightly apprehensive – I needn’t have been. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. The training itself took place over 2 days. From the outset I found myself immersed in the presentations. Several aspects were explored in great detail from Trust in Care, Disciplinary Procedure, Social Media and some of the various schemes available to us as a profession.

 If I am completely honest the training as a whole re-affirmed my decision to become more involved in the PNA. The second day was more interactive where there was role play and scenarios explored. Personally I found this beneficial as it embeds the information more definitively.

  As a whole I found the 2 days so informative from a professional level, from a personal point of view it was an excellent chance to meet fellow colleagues from around the country and build contacts. We were able to compare and contrast differences within our own services. There may have been a little tipple after an intense first day also (for medicinal purposes of course).

Thanks to all involved.

Ruth Casey

Longford/Westmeath Mental Health Services

Colleagues will be aware of our campaign regarding the current impasse with the Department of Health regarding the alignment of the CNM/CMM2 and CNS/CMS and CPC pay scales.The Clinical Placement Coordinator (CPC) is a key nursing role with responsibility for coordination and support of essential clinical placements throughout the health service for undergraduate student nurses during their education. The CPC is graded as a CNM2 and is paid on that scale since its inception. The Report of the Expert Review Body on Nursing and Midwifery recommended additional points on the Clinical Nurse 2 (CNM2) pay scale.

The Department of Health is now blocking the implementation of the increases to the CNM2 scale for CPCs. 

There is no basis for the differential and less favourable treatment of CPCs they are a graded as CNM2 and the Report of the Expert Review Body on Nursing and Midwifery made no distinction between those on the CNM2 pay scale.

Additionally, the recent Expert Review Body Report recognises that the CPC grade as central to the support of students while on clinical placement, further the Report recognises the pivotal role they play in ensuring the quality and safety of the learning environment.We have made representations with the political leaders on this very pressing issue, reminding them of the importance of the role and the historic pay link with the CNM/CMM2 grades.

Below you will find some photos from our recent protests in Dublin and Waterford. We will continue to pursue this matter though all negotiating channels available to us,

Below one of our colleagues Shauna Burke offers her perspective :

It was a joy to watch the reaction of our colleagues in the West especially Mayo as Louise Donohue accepted this years Gantley Award,commended for her perseverance,dedication and keen sense of justice, Louise was instrumental in achieving the 37.5 week in Mayo,a loyal PNA advocate prepared to dig deep in long negotiations Louise's award is well deserved.

Not only that she was also elected as a National Trustee at ADC - Double Celebrations !

Two very successful National branch meetings were held for the intellectual disability branches on 17/01/24 in Athlone and on 21/11/24 in Sligo.

The meetings focus was on relevant topics that enhance the professional development of the RNID and provided an opportunity to meet other branches and share ideas and best practice and discuss relevant issues in the intellectual disability sector.

The main items for the agenda were;

 1. The future of the RNID training in Ireland and direct entry model

2. Upgrade of nurses working with social care workers to CNM1

3. Role of social care worker in relation to RNID

4. Serious Physical Assault scheme in ID

5. SAMS training and ID nursing

6. Getting proper breaks in ID services

7. Social fund for outings with clients

8. The HIQA Lexicon definition of a nurse

9. HCA job description

10. Annual Delegate Conference 2025

The numbers of members attending was quite small partly due to weather conditions as we had a fall of snow the night before on both occasions but we felt it was important to go ahead and try and build a momentum for future meetings.

We are hoping to continue to hold these meetings as we believe they are essential for building relationships, exchanging knowledge, and fostering collaboration within the RNID sector in the PNA.

The PNA plays a crucial role in advocating for the rights and interests of the RNID, ensuring safe working conditions and ultimately improving the quality of care for persons with an intellectual disability.

The PNA will continue to play a pivotal role in ensuring the well-being of both RNID nurses and those we care for. By advocating for fair compensation, safe working conditions, professional development and ethical care standards, the PNA help maintain a healthier and more effective workforce.

We hope to hold the next meeting in summer of 2025 and hope to see you all there, details will be announced later in the new year.

Let me take this opportunity to thank all our members for all their hard work and help throughout the year and wishing you a Christmas season filled with special moments, cherished memories, and a true spirit of Christmas.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Ger Davitt:   Intellectual Disability Representative PNA

Colleagues,

On the 7^th of October 2024 the PNA in partnership with Cornmarket facilitated a very informative Retirement seminar with almost 40 PNA members in attendance in the Kileshin Hotel in Portlaoise. Mr Owen Meade was the facilitator on the day, covering topics such as

1. Managing AVCs
2. Managing Taxes
3. Budgeting for Retirement and Planning a Routine.

With guest speaker on the day Mr Brent Pope also discussing his own retirement pathway and topics such as planning for retirement and minding your mental health it was a day thoroughly enjoyed by all. I would highly recommend you consider attendance at the next retirement seminar when advertised, it is never too early to start planning your retirement!

Nollaig Shona Daoibh

Colette Walsh

Horatio colleagues will meet in May 2025 in Berlin Germany .The title of the congress  COMPLEX INTERVENTIONS IN MENTAL HEALTH. and this is the Second Call for Abstracts , so you still have time to consider submitting over the Christmas holidays, it is time to meet friends and colleagues from different countries and to share our experiences, ideas and developments. Our aim is to make it a friendly, welcoming conference for all, and in Berlin, Susanna and her colleagues are preparing  to do just that Home | Berlin 2025 

Keep an eye out for our call for bursaries to attend Congress coming out in January whereby we will award an amount towards contributing to attendance and / presenting 

The Irish Delegation we delighted to support our colleague Aisling on her inauguration as President of Horatio at the Horatio Congress in Malmo in May. As one of the founding organisations that answered the call along with Malta the Netherlands and Sweden to develop an organisation that would represent the voice of Mental Health Nursing in Europe the PNA is a proud member some 20 years on and immensely proud in Aisling as President.

In her address to congress Aisling spoke  of the recent world events (the COVID-19 pandemic, War, Migration   the climate crisis, unemployment, and the food and energy costs) brings in focus more than ever before that our Mental Health is an integral part of the human race’s future survival, that Psychiatric/ Mental health nurses are at the forefront of this mission and our expertise, and skills are essential for creating responsive and person centred health care. Investing in developing and sustaining the mental health nursing workforce, its scope of practice and competence as a necessity.

She challenged us to cross boundaries as we build trust in our encounters and collaboration, advised us to think carefully, listen intently, work in conciliation and acceptance to break the surface -  that gives meaning and life but also what is required of us as human nurses with the emphasis on kindness and connection whilst thinking outside the box .

As President of Horatio Aislings breadth and knowledge of the European context in mental health nursing has been hugely beneficial ithis last year particularly in the context of the Expert Review of Nursing and some of the issues which arose for the profession in Ireland .I know she is supported by a hard working team on the Horatio Board but on behalf of the PNA I am taking this opportunity to congratulate Aisling conscious of the commitment she has given and continues to give.

HORATIO CONGRESS MALMO SWEDEN 2024 Robbie Redmond Dublin North City Mental Health Services National Trustee PNA

Courage, Communication and Collaboration in Challenging times

I had the privilege of attending this conference which was co-hosted by the Swedish Association of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses (PRF). It was held in the fantastic venue of Malmo Massan, Malmo on the 15^th- 16^th May 2024. Just a week before this the same venue had hosted the very contentious Eurovision song contest and the quality of the facilities are second to none.

Before this trip I had never visited any of the Nordic countries and I envisaged cold weather and early evening darkness. However, I could not have been more wrong as the balmy sunshine temperatures of 20 to 23 degrees stretched late into the evenings allowing for fantastic outdoor dining, beautiful riverside walks and even an odd pint or two. The streets were very clean and public transport was very efficient allowing for ease of movement between the conference venue and the city centre. A good example of this ease of movement is that I landed in Copenhagen airport (Denmark) and boarded a train which was on time and took me straight to Malmo city centre (Sweden) in roughly half an hour.

The conference was a continuous hive of activity with 5 lecture halls in operation throughout the day each offering an array of presentations of research and their findings. Timetables at each hall allowed attendees to pick the presentations that would be of most interest or benefit to them. English is widely spoken so there was no language barrier to overcome. Personally, I tried to get to as many of the Irish presentations as possible and can testify that Irish nursing research is definitely holding its own amongst the 27 countries represented. Outside of the lecture halls in a main hall and throughout the foyers there were stands promoting all sorts of interesting products along with information stands explaining how innovative ideas were now working in practice. The main hall where you could grab a coffee was a great meeting point for the many different nationalities and it was very interesting and informative to compare topics with fellow professionals from other countries.

One of the stands that I found most interesting was showcasing the Swedish psychiatric ambulance (PAM). These are ambulances which are dedicated to psychiatric emergencies. They appear to be like any other ambulance, but the insides have been converted to comfortable seating. They are crewed by 2 mental health nurses and a paramedic and they respond to calls involving suicide attempts, psychosis and mania. They have proved to be very successful in improving the outcomes of such situations and have also been successful in freeing up police resources as is with our own Gardai who continually state that up to 50% of their calls after 5pm are mental health related.

Overall I found this whole experience to be very positive on many levels and I would actively encourage Irish nurses to submit their research for presentation to the Horatio conference. Next years conference is to be held in Berlin and under the new presidency of the PNA’s Aisling Culhane (congratulations) it will be as informative and as enjoyable as ever

Department of Health launches Ireland’s first National Mental Health Research Strategy

The Department of Health, in collaboration with the Health Research Board, launched Ireland’s first National Mental Health Research Strategy. This groundbreaking initiative marks a transformative step in Ireland’s commitment to enhancing mental health services and supports through research and evidence.

The strategy, developed in alignment with Ireland’s national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision – A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, sets a clear direction for mental health research in Ireland. The strategy’s vision is an Ireland with a thriving mental health research system that strengthens our understanding of mental health and positively impacts mental health and wellbeing for all.

It outlines a comprehensive framework designed to foster integration, innovation, and impact, ensuring that mental health research drives evidence-based policy and practice. Key recommendations include:

increase and sustain funding across the mental health research system

research priority areas to advance mental health research, aligned with the Sharing the Vision policy

strengthen research infrastructure, research workforce capacity, co-production and lived experience engagement, and collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and practitioners

maximise the impact of mental health research on the wellbeing of people with mental health difficulties and their families, supporters, and communities.

You can download a copy Here

The “Mosaic toolkit to end stigma and discrimination in mental health” was developed by WHO/Europe, experts by profession from King’s College London and experts by experience from the Global Mental Health Peer Network, with inputs from the Pan-European Mental Health Coalition and anti-stigma experts worldwide. It draws on the best-available evidence on how to reduce stigma and discrimination in mental health.

The toolkit answers one of the recommendations of the Lancet Commission on ending stigma and discrimination and addresses needs that members of WHO/Europe’s Pan-European Mental Coalition identified within its first working package on mental health leadership.

The Mosaic toolkit is designed for anyone who wants to be involved in anti-stigma work, aiming to demystify the process of reducing stigma and discrimination. It aims to make it easier for individuals and organizations who have not yet undertaken evidence-based anti-stigma activities to begin that process in their context. Those who have engaged in anti-stigma work in the past may also find it useful as a reference when advocating buy-in from stakeholders, and to promote adoption of evidence-based stigma-reduction principles in sectors where such work might not have been conducted before.

EU-PROMENS is a capacity-building programme on mental health financed by the EU4Health programme and will be implemented by the project consortium (GFA Consulting Group GmbH, Trimbos Institute, and Mental Health Europe) between January 2024 and December 2026. It will enhance and improve the capacity of health professionals across Europe in the field of mental health. The programme implements flagship 15 ‘Initiative For More And Better Trained Professionals in the EU’ of the Commission’s Communication on a comprehensive approach to mental health.

You can download a copy of the literature review and further detail here 

The National Implementation Monitoring Committee (NIMC) for Sharing the Vision, Ireland’s national mental health policy, established a specialist group to progress the priority issue of women’s mental health. Embedding Women’s Mental Health in Sharing the Vision is the report by the specialist group on women’s mental health.

The report has recommended the embedding in Sharing the Vision of Ireland’s first ever Women’s Mental Health Charter to enshrine and enhance the provision of mental health services and supports for women and girls in Ireland.

It is envisaged that all health services would commit to the Charter in order to strengthen gender awareness, and ensure that women experience an inclusive, supportive and effective mental health service that meets their needs.

The Charter aims to ensure:

a gender-aware approach to the delivery and accessibility of all care

a trauma-aware approach by all staff who contribute to the service

the systematic collection and analysis of data on gender, ethnicity, disability and other risk factors for marginalisation of women

Aisling Culhane Research & Development Advisor participated as a member pf the Specialist Group Chair of the Specialist Group, Professor Siobhan MacHale, said:

"I would like to particularly thank the Specialist and Reference Groups, who brought a range of professional and civil society perspectives to this vital work. It is essential that gender is considered when creating and providing effective mental health services. The recommendations in this report will facilitate services in applying a gender-sensitive lens to mental health care provision, ultimately leading to more positive health outcomes for women and girls."

WHO’s QualityRights initiative aims to improve the quality of care in mental health and related services and to promote the rights of people with psychosocial, intellectual and cognitive disabilities.

The associated QualityRights e-training, covers: taking care of one’s own mental health; supporting friends, family and colleagues with their mental health; tackling stigma, discrimination, abuse and coercion in mental health services; and taking action in support of transformation of mental health services towards a person-centred, rights-based recovery approach.

The training has been developed for a wide variety of groups, including people involved in making decisions about mental health care provision, those who provide mental health care and psychosocial support, and people who have received or are receiving support for their mental health.

The WHO recently launched a joint publication with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) titled “Mental health, human rights and legislation: guidance and practice”. Its objective is to ensure that mental health policies, systems, services, and programmes provide high-quality care and support for all, in line with international human rights standards, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

With a focus on the transformation of mental health systems and the promotion, protection and fulfilment of human rights, dignity, autonomy, and inclusion for all, it offers practical advice to align laws, policies and practices with international human rights obligations and the development of person-centred care and support, taking into account gender, age, cultural acceptability and other considerations that safeguard human rights. Developed through extensive research and consultations, its key chapters cover the need for reform, principles and provisions for legislation, and a rights-based process. A practical checklist assists in assessing and developing legislation, while ensuring flexibility for countries to tailor efforts to specific national and local contexts. This resource is intended for legislators, policymakers, health professionals, monitoring and evaluation authorities and advocacy groups, among others.

HSE National Policy on Pronouncement of Death for Registered Nurses 

The overall purpose of this policy is to enable registered nurses to pronounce (as distinct from certifying) death in certain defined circumstances.

The policy provides a framework for the timely and safe pronouncement of death by registered nurses in the HSE and Section 38 services: designated centres for older persons, nurse led intellectual disability services registered by HIQA and specialist palliative care services. The policy outlines the role of the nurse in the safe pronouncement of death in adults (over 18 years of age), the necessary governance procedures to facilitate, enable and ensure safe pronouncement of death by nurses, to include: education competence assessment and application of local policy. The policy promotes a quality, safe environment for the dying person and provides support to those important to the dying person.

The 2025 annual registration renewal window is now open and registrants can renew online up to 31 January 2025.  

Notices containing details on how to renew were issued by email to all registrants and we are encouraging them to login and renew online as soon as they receive this. 

Please note that student nurses and midwives, as well as those who have registered for the first time, on or after 1 September 2024, are not required to renew until the 2026 annual renewal cycle. 

The annual renewal process must be completed through our online portal, MyNMBI. We no longer accept renewal payments by phone. MyNMBI is mobile enabled, allowing registrants to access the full range of services on their mobile or tablet device. For the best user experience, we recommend registrants use a laptop or desktop to renew their registration. Renewing online is easy and takes a few minutes to complete the process. 

Registrants should ensure that all their details are up to date, including contact information (address, email address and phone number) and employment details. This is a legal requirement under Section 53 of the Nurses and Midwives Act 2011, as amended.  

Trinity Health and Education International Research Conference THEconf2025)

RCSI 44th Annual International Nursing & Midwifery Research and Education Conference 2025

To register, please visit the following link: https://confpartners.eventsair.com/44th-annual-international-nursing-midwifery-research-and-education-conference-2025/registration

Discounts are available for Fellows and Members, Sigma members, student and retired colleagues. 

In addition our colleagues in RCSI continue to offer the following CPD programmes :

MENTALITY Project Conference: Putting Mental Health at the Heart of Europe

Explore how to strengthen Europe's mental health systems to address urgent polycrises like pandemics, wars, and climate disasters. The MENTALITY hybrid conference will delve into innovative practices, policy reforms, and personal testimonies to foster resilience and equity. Join to connect with experts, policymakers, insurers, investors and advocates to shape the future of mental health. Register here.  

Register now for the Marie Curie Research into Practice Conference 2025

The conference, running from Tuesday 11 to Friday 14 February 2025, is once again online and free for all to attend.

Prominent presenters from across palliative and end of life care will be joining us for four days of thematic and spotlight sessions, and abstract presentations. Our priority is to bring you the latest research evidence to inform practice and policy, with the aim of improving support for everyone affected by dying, death or bereavement. This is in line with Marie Curie's mission to close the gap in end of life care.

And there’s no pressure to join every session. Register now, and in the run up to the event, bookmark the sessions you wish to attend. If registered, you can watch sessions back at a time that suits you.