Regrading success in NI

Mental Health Nursing,  Mar/Apr 2002  

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Four CPNs from Craigavon Banbridge Trust in Northern Ireland are celebrating regrading success.

The four including CPNA'S regional coordinator Tracey Heasley are employed as mental health facilitators to primary care and were graded at 'F'.

Unhappy with this grade, the four instigated the grievance procedure but had their claims rejected at the stage 2 hearing. The panel did not accept that these nurses carried the caseload responsibility and felt that the practitioners were simply providing care as pre-determined and prescribed by general practitioners on a sessional basis. This panel also inferred that these CPNs were claiming specialist practitioner status.

However, at the recent stage 3 hearing, the panel agreed with the case put by the four and their representatives Pat McGreevy, CPNA deputy chair, and Kevin McAdam, regional officer MSE

It was successfully argued that the practitioners do have caseloads constituted through a complex process of managing waiting lists from several GP practices. The practitioners had not claimed specialist practitioner status but it was accepted that they did provide 'specialist advice' to the GPs and other primary care colleagues.

Tracey and her colleagues Judith Graham, Bronagh Campbell and Kathleen Lee were naturally delighted.

Pat and Kevin paid tribute to the women for bringing the case, and for the time, effort and skill they had put into the preparation of the case.

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