A latest report has unveiled that nurses at child and adolescent unit in Merlin Park, Galway, have been planning to protest for assaults against them. It has been found that nurses are being assaulted since the opening of the unit.

It is being said that psychiatric nurses have been forced by the assaults against them to take an industrial action. The report has found that the HSE management has failed to give any kind of response to the frightening levels of assaults being done on nurses in the child and adolescent unit in Galway.

The failure of management to take any action against the same has forced the Psychiatric Nurses' Association to start a protest itself, says the report. According to the protest, internal policies on violence and management of aggression should be at par with national standards as well as a large number of vacant clinical nurse management posts should be filled.

Along with this, the association has also asked for reducing the number of beds so as to bring the situation under control. The number of nurses assaulted is found to be 190 in all. Thus in order to start the protest, the PNA has told that members of the unit would be taking part in a work-to-rule this week, which would start today.

"We are extremely disappointed that the HSE is withholding details of the numbers involved here, and with the absence of engagement at local level -- given the HSE knows there are serious gaps opening up in the service", said Des Kavanagh, who is the chief of the PNA.

It has been found by the report that some of hospital consultants have been applying for early retirements, which is a matter of concern. It further concerns the planned provision of health care in the unit this year, said a health spokesman.