Boffa nurses are not convinced by the minister’s assurances of autonomy.

Nurses are up in arms over what they claim are government plans to remove Boffa Hospital’s autonomy when it moves to the new oncology centre.

In a strongly worded statement yesterday, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses said it was organising a petition for Boffa Hospital employees to show the Health Minister he was “moving in the wrong direction”.

The union is not satisfied with assurances of autonomy given to it by the minister when all cancer services start being transferred to the new oncology centre next to Mater Dei Hospital by the end of this year.

“All the sweet talk, all the nice words and all the fake assurance of autonomy will not hold water with the employees,” MUMN president Paul Pace said, adding the petition would be passed on to the Prime Minister.

The union is asking him to intervene in the matter.

Accusing the minister of embarking on a path of confrontation, Mr Pace said nurses at Boffa did not want to be answerable to Mater Dei management.

“It is important that the new oncology centre is not burdened with the same bed and staff shortages that plague Mater Dei.”

He insisted the oncology centre should be financially and clinically autonomous from Mater Dei, including from a human resources perspective, since the current set-up at Boffa worked smoothly.

He accused the minister of taking advice only from a small number of medical consultants “close to him”. These were the same people who proposed setting up a tent at Mater Dei, Mr Pace added.

A pledge by the minister to turn the helipad at Mater Dei into a car park for staff at the oncology centre had not yet been honoured, Mr Pace added.

Times Talk on TVM tonight will discuss the health sector.