Serious disruption to heart operations

Foreign specialists may need to be drafted in over the …

Foreign specialists may need to be drafted in over the summer. Photo: Eggert Jóhannesson

Heart operations at the National University Hospital of Iceland (‘Landspítali’) may be seriously disrupted if all announced resignations go ahead.

285 health care professionals have so far resigned in the wake of pay and working conditions disputes and strike action. 235 of these resignations concern members of the Icelandic Association of Nurses (FÍH), who were forced back to work by State legislation last month.

“Serious situation”

CEO of Landspítali, Páll Matthíasson, has warned of the “serious situation” facing cardiology at the hospital. Both of the biomedical scientists working on heart and lung machines have resigned and are set to leave in three months.

Foreign specialists may be drafted in for a few weeks over the summer to enable the most urgent heart operations to go ahead.

“Of course, we hope these members of staff will reach a resolution [and not go through with their resignations],” explains Matthíasson. “Otherwise, we shall have to advertise for new people. If that doesn’t work either, we shall be forced to cut services.”

He warns, however, that such specialised professionals “do not grow on trees”.

More could resign

It has not yet been decided what solution could be found once foreign specialists brought in to cover lost staff have left. “There is still time for people to reach a resolution and for the hospital to react as best it can if things get tough,” says Matthíasson.

He warns, however, that numbers of staff resigning may be actually greater than 285, as senior management may not yet have received all resignation letters.

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