Mount Carmel Hospital Directives
Overcrowding in MW7 20th March 2024
MUMN cannot understand how an additional bed is added to MW7 which is well know that MW7 is an overcrowded ward. The infection control standards in an mental institution are suppose to be 4.5 feet between one bed and another but in MW7 the bed proximity is less than two feet between beds. MUMN pities the nurses and the patients working in such wards.
Not to mention that such ward is supposed to be chronic long term ward but then substance abuse patients are also admitted to this ward. Currently there are 4 substance abuse patients when the directive is that each ward should have not more than two patients.
If in MCH there is a shortage of beds, the MCH administration better looks at the frequency of ward wards taking place by the consultants since most consultants in MW7 never even bother to do a ward round what so ever in MW7.
Also the official reply of Dr. Sultana for this additional bed was that orders are from “Higher Authorities” which shows clearly that she is more interested to safeguard her job than seeks the interest of the nurses and the midwives.
As from tomorrow the 20th March 2024, when the next discharge of patient is to take place, the bed is to be taken out of the ward, and the bed state in MW7 returns back to 21 beds.
MUMN Council
Directive to all Nurses working at MCH wards
Published 21st March 2023
It was brought to our attention that in recent weeks it has become increasingly common for management to fill the beds of patients currently on short term overnight leave due to lack of bed space. Typically these patients return to the ward after one to three days, only to find that their bed was given to another individual while they were away.
Not to mention that MUMN cannot accept extra beds in wards causing massive overcrowding which is very dangerous for both the patients and the staff on the wards. The closure of various wards, accompanied with no proper investment in Mt. Carmel Hospital has rendered this hospital incapable of coping with to the needs of the population.
MCH admissions wards resemble the Florence Nightingale 1800s wards where literally the bed space between one bed and another is just a few centimetres.
MUMN cannot accept this situation which is causing unnecessary friction between nursing staff and patients. Because of this MUMN is issuing the following directives:-
1) If a patient returns from short term leave but their bed has been filled due to a lack of space then they are not to be allowed in the ward. Instead they are to be directed to the transit ward so that the medical profession has to find a bed for the patient.
2) No ward is to accept the introduction of additional beds.
3) All nursing management (both night management and day management) are to refrain to do any work related to bed management.
These directives will come into effect starting Tuesday 21/3/23 from 12:00pm onwards. MUMN will monitor the situation closely to make sure that we don’t have a situation where patients are constantly shuffled around wards, putting an unnecessary burden on nursing staff who have to carry out these transfers.
Regards,
MUMN Council
MCH Ward Fights between Patients
Published 6th June 2022
Ippermettili nressaq il-prejokkupazjonijiet ta' l-MUMN fir-rigward tal-glied li qed isehh bejn il-pazjenti infushom fl-isptar tieghek.
L-MUMN ma tistax taccetta li n-nurses jigu mitluba biex iferqu u jidhlu fin-nofs kull darba li jkun hemm glieda bejn il-pazjenti taghhom. In-nurse mhiex punchbag u dan mghandux jitkompla aktar. Aktar u aktar meta uhud mill-pazjenti jghamlu dan apposta biex jigbdu l-attenzjoni ta' l-istaff prezenti.
Huma x'inhuma t-tradizzjonijiet ta' l-isptar, issa li qeghdin fis-sena 2022 rridu naggornaw ruhna maz-zminijiet.
Ghaldaqstant l-MUMN titlob u tistenna li:-
- In-nurses ma jintervjenux fi gliedied bejn il-pazjenti;
- Ikun hemm nies mharrga apposta biex jintervjenu huma meta jigu mitluba;
- Ikun hemm sistema efficjenti u sikura li tintuza mill-istaff tas-sala kull darba li jinhtieg li dawn in-nies mharrga apposta jkunu prezenti fis-sala.
Filwaqt li nistenna risposta minghandek,
Nselli ghalik.
Colin Galea
Segretarju Generali
MUMN
level 1 supervision in MCH mist especially in YPU
Published 6th June 2022
Dr. Xuereb,
The nursing staff is right to feel that a mockery is being done of Level One Policy in YPU since the doctors will be ordering and removing level one on the same day, for several days.
While it is your office to check this mockery of the Level One Supervision, MUMN is issuing a directive that no nurse in YPU or in MCH is expected to phone doctors to remind them to order or remove level one supervision. Nurses are not Secretaries to the doctors.
Doctors are expected to abide by the Level One supervision policy and fill up the requested form every time the patient returns from outside. If such a form is not filled, the patient cannot be considered as level one supervision and the same has to be done, that doctors have to write that level one supervision is terminated if he is to go to school. No phoning of doctors will be done by the nurses. So inform all doctors of MUMN's directive.
Hope that is clear to all.
Directive to all MUMN members working in Mt. Carmel Hospital
Published 9th February 2022
Nurses working in Mt. Carmel Hospital were informed that the treatment of the patients in their wards cannot be collected from Mt. Carmel Hospital pharmacy (as the norm of all hospitals) but from POYC.
Such an unethical decision was taken without considering the impact and the added stress to coordinate something outside the hospital by the nurses working in Mt. Carmel Hospital, not to mention the added responsibilities on the nursing management which are not acceptable to MUMN. The legal aspect of drug administration is that nurses are to collect all necessary drugs from their respective Hospital pharmacies as it is the norm in all hospitals in Malta and Gozo. It is not acceptable that nurses have to chase or change their practices due to the “audit trail” or “stock-taking” requested by the CPSU.
Also when MUMN intervened to resolve the issue various stakeholders such as MCH management, Karl Farrugia, pharmacists in MCH were all playing “musical chairs” with the nurses (and nursing management) paying the highest price of this Babylonia.Read More
Clarification of Directive for Mental Health Services
As not to use their vehicles for Home visits.
Published 28th November 2021
MUMN has been informed that a meeting with the staff has been done behind MUMN back on this issue. The scaremongering used by MCH management during the meeting that nurses are to pay three hundred euros if they are involved in a car accident when driving a leased car is totally false since none of the nurses working in MDH ever paid one cent when involved in a car accident. Read More
Directives to Nurses working in MCH re Admissions of Drug Abusers
Published 8th January 2021
MCH wards are not equipped nor capable of admitting drug addicts in large numbers. This is an issue of health and safety both to the staff and to the other patients in the ward. Read More
Directive to all Nurses working in MCH re Admissions of Infective Cases
Published 9th November 2020
MUMN is aware that admissions of infective patients are being done by certain doctors without the authorization of infection control, nor MCH nursing management, nor MCH management. Such admissions are being done at the detriment of the Health and safety of the patients of the ward and most importantly of nursing staff on the wards. Read More
Published 5th March 2020
A Directive to all nurses working in Mount Carmel has been issued regarding the pink prescription booklets. MUMN has been trying to reason with pharmacy staff in order to provide the wards with two pink prescription booklets. Read More
Psychiatric Unit - Rest Room Directive
Published 28th January 2020
Ippermettieli ninfurmak li l-MUMN ma tistax taccetta l-fatt li n-Nurses li jahdmu fis-Psychiatric Unit mghandhomx il-facilita’ ta’ Rest Room fejn ikunu jistghu jiehdu r-rest taghhom skond ir-roster li jahdmu kif stipulat fil-Ligi Industrijali. Read More
Published 25th November 2019
It is currently the practice of pharmacy staff in MCH to send expiring permits to the wards for the nurses to chase the respective firm and sign the renewal forms for treatment. MUMN would like to clarify that nurses SHOULD NOT take responsibility for the signing of renewal forms. Read More
Published 8th November 2019
Nurses are to refrain from leaving their place of work to file a police report in any police station regarding patients who are sent on leave. This is not acceptable for MUMN. This issue is not just a matter of leaving the ward unattended but also has legal responsibilities and repercussions that as nurses are beyond our call of duties. Read More
Directive to all Nurses working in MCH regarding Acs, Staff Meals, ORS
Published 5th August 2020
Yesterday MUMN Officials had a meeting with the Health Minister in the presence of MCH management on several issues pertaining to MCH. The meeting focused on the ACs, staff meals, out of stock list and failure to repair and delivery on the ORS. Read More
Published 17th July 2019
We would like to inform you that MUMN is issuing instructions with immediate effect to its members that any patients who are on liquidized diet should only be provided liquidized food, irrelevant from any other instructions issued by the kitchen managers. Read More