PM Browne Scheduled to Meet with PNO to Resolve Nurses’ Issue

In an attempt to resolve the current issue affecting nurses, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has intervened

Although he is not the health minister, nurses protested outside the office of the prime minister on Wednesday.

This is the second day they have expressed their dissatisfaction with a decision to remove the Principal Nursing Officer from the body responsible for maintaining professional standards and patient safety.

According to the nurses, the health minister made the decision to replace the PNO with an unnamed individual solely.

They gathered outside the prime minister’s office, where government ministers meet weekly, to voice their displeasure.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Ena Dalso Henry, was summoned to a meeting on Wednesday to address the issue that led to approximately 20 nurses and their supporters picketing the Ministry of Health on Tuesday and the Cabinet on Wednesday.

The dispute stems from the Principal Nursing Officer (PNO) ‘s belief that a position on the Midwifery Board is rightfully designated to that office and objection to being excluded.

Following a review of the Midwifery Act, the Cabinet confirmed that the PNO is not among the designated offices specified in the Act, which was last amended in 1989.

Nevertheless, a directive was issued for the Permanent Secretary to arrange a meeting with the PNO, the Attorney General, and other relevant parties to find a resolution, enabling the nurses to resume patient care.

Notably, appointment to the board spans a three-year tenure, and given the imminent retirement of the current PNO, it was considered more practical to nominate another individual to the board.

This decision sparked discontent among some nurses, leading to consecutive days of protest activity.