FAQs – Industrial Action by Clinical Measurement Physiologists

All Fórsa Clinical Measurement Physiologist members, in all grades and across all 5 disciplines, working in the HSE and Section 38 voluntary hospitals.

On Friday 30^th January 2026, as of members’ normal starting time.

The industrial action takes the form of a work to rule. A ballot of members has sanctioned industrial action, up to and including strike action.

Fórsa Clinical Measurement Physiologist members are hereby instructed, you should:

• Adhere strictly to the terms of your contract of employment.

• • This includes not carrying out work appropriate to other professionals e.g. clerical, support staff, medical and nursing colleagues.
  • This also includes not carrying out work/ duties that are outside of your grade e.g. senior physiologists being asked to take on management responsibilities without an approved Temporary Higher Appointment.

• Not work outside your agreed contract working hours (excludes flexitime).

• Not work overtime or work up additional hours on TOIL (Time Off In Lieu).

• Members should decline, unless normally rostered, to work over weekends and / or bank holidays.

• Unless contracted to do so members should not provide on call services out of hours.

• Members should not use their work allocated mobile phone or check work emails outside of their normal working hours unless it is for emergency purposes.

In addition, members should:

• Strictly adhere to the rules and procedures governing your post. This specifically includes conducting all relevant tests within your scope of practise and providing the relevant measurements in a report format without interpretation or summary. Members should continue to verbally escalate results of critical findings.

• Withdraw from any engagement / information provision to PWC Ireland / any other third-party consultancy firm

• Withdraw from any further roll-out / service development of Community Hubs beyond that in situ at the 26^th July 2024.

• Immediately cease the practice of conducting routine tests for ‘walk in’ patients

• Immediately cease the practice of conducting expediated tests for patients who attend following private consultations on hospital sites.

• Only undertake discharge dependent diagnostics where there is a justified clinical need.

• Withdraw from co-operation with third level student placements and education due to commence on or after the date of this instruction. This includes but is not limited to supervision of student placements, provision of guest lectures, engagement with research projects.

• Withdraw from all engagement and discussions in relation to ongoing change management programmes across all care areas. This includes but is not limited to any working groups, planning meetings, restructuring proposals, consultation meetings, scoping exercises, discussion meetings / forums/ surveys etc – whether online or in person.

• Withdraw from all local, regional or national committees, advisory groups etc and decline to attend any meetings whether online or in person.

• Decline to return national information / data returns e.g., KPI’s, A&E Stats, delayed discharges, monthly activities etc. This includes non-engagement in online forums and / or teleconference in relation to same.

• Not undertake tasks, functions or responsibilities associated with any vacant post.

• Not undertake tasks, functions or responsibilities associated with any post that the employer has failed to replace due to maternity leave.

• Not engage with any proposals in relation to the extended working week.

Union members are legally protected when engaging in industrial action. Should management instruct any Fórsa member to carry out any of the tasks prohibited under this instruction members should be advised to respond:

“As a Fórsa member, I am participating in a trade dispute and following the instruction set out by the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee of my Union. Derogation requests should be submitted nationally for consideration.”

Only union members are protected during the dispute. You should join the union. The fastest way to join is online 

If a resolution to the dispute is not found during work-to-rule, an escalation of industrial action will be considered. This will be considered on a weekly basis by the Divisional Executive Committee.

When and what type of action will be decided by the Dispute Committee of the Health and Welfare Divisional Executive Committee. This committee is made up of the elected representatives of union members.

Yes – provided you are working your contracted hours only. Members are asked not to do overtime / accrue TOIL for the duration of this dispute.

Members are instructed to withdraw from co-operation with third level student placements and education due to commence on or after the date of this instruction i.e. on or after 30^th January. It is the responsibility of the employer to notify the HEIs of the Industrial Action.

Members should strictly adhere to the terms of their contract and not complete these actions during the work to rule.

Members should analyse the recording as usual and provide the relevant measurements in a report format without interpretation or summary. Members should continue to verbally escalate results of critical findings.

Members should strictly adhere to the rules and procedures governing your post. As this responsibility is not currently part of the contract, members should not make such referrals.

This is the responsibility of the Speciality Consultant or Registrar.

Every location has custom and practise arrangements in respect of this and these should be adhered to.

This is outside the scope of the Clinical Measurement Physiologist contract. Members should not engage in this work.

You should not provide on call support unless there is an explicit contractual arrangement and / or collective agreement to provide on call should do so. For clarity, any hours worked on call must be recognised by the employer and individuals must receive either a set allowance and TOIL in return.

Members should only work their contract hours. You should take your allocated breaks and full lunch breaks – no more cutting short your breaks to ensure a service is maintained.

Members should not work outside their standard working week – this means no longer answering emails or calls on your work mobile outside of working hours (unless in an emergency).

Where this is a short unscheduled period of leave members can provide the required cover. However, for scheduled / long term periods of leave, members should not provide cover.

As part of any dispute Fórsa and the HSE meet to discuss contingency planning (how minimal services will operate during the dispute). This is provided for under the Dispute Resolution Framework. Fórsa have advised the HSE that they are available for such discussions. The HSE have so far not sought to meet to discuss any contingencies.

Derogations (exemptions from the Industrial Action) will be dealt with nationally. HSE Management must submit derogation requests for consideration by the Fórsa Dispute Committee. Not all derogations are granted. An up-to-date list will be shared in real time with Fórsa branches. Where members are being told a derogation has been granted, they should check this with their local Branch Executive Committee member in the first instance.

1. The completion of the joint union management workforce review for Clinical Measurement Physiologists and the implementation of the recommendations of that review.
2. An agreed staffing and governance model for Community Hubs under the ECC programme.
3. An end to outsourcing of Clinical Measurement Physiology Services in the public health sector.

You should contact your local branch. If you are unsure of who to contact please contact your closest Fórsa office:

• Cork 021 4255 210 forsacork@forsa.ie
• Limerick 061 319 177 forsalimerick@forsa.ie
• Galway 091 778 031 healthwest@forsa.ie
• Sligo 071 914 2400 healthnorthwest@forsa.ie 
• Dublin Head Office 01 8171500 healthandwelfareinfo@forsa.ie