More than 50 student radiographers are working on the frontline in hospitals during the current Covid-19 pandemic without any pay, the trade union Siptu has said.
The union said groups of students in other disciplines were receiving payments equivalent to €30,000 per year for working in public hospitals at present.
Siptu sector organiser Kevin Figgis said on Monday: "Our union been raising the need for equal treatment for fourth year student radiographers with both the Department of Health and HSE for some weeks now."
He said 51 student radiographers were currently working on the front line of the health service everyday and there was no basis for them to be treated less favourably than other health profession students.
“These students are now in their fifth week of placement within the health service and while other similar student groups are getting financial payments in excess of €30,000 , it appears health employers believe it is okay to give fourth year student radiographers nothing.”
Siptu said that 30 of the 51 student radiographers were allocated to two radiology departments, both in major Dublin acute hospitals.
It said this was due was due to the severe depletion of existing radiographers within these departments arising from the need for self-isolation and Covid-19 risks of infection.
It said the remaining 21 student radiographers were distributed within radiology departments across the country.
Siptu said on Monday: "On the 26th March last, the Minister for Health Simon Harris publicly announced a decision had been made to pay student nurses and midwives, working on placement within the health service, on the health care assistant pay scale. This would be a salary of approximately €28,131 plus premium payments. In addition, the HSE also decided to approve pay for fourth year student medical scientists who were yet to complete their training. They would receive 90 per cent of the medical scientist scale (€33,264) plus premiums. These student groups would also receive incremental credit for the period once appointed full-time to the health service. At the time of this announcement, the Minister said the decision to pay certain student groups was made because "We need all hands on deck through this challenging period.
“Prior to the Minister’s announcement Siptu had already highlighted 51 fourth year student radiographers were allocated within the health service and there was a need to ensure they were treated equally for the purpose of pay when compared to the other health professional students.”
Siptu health division organiser Paul Bell said the decision to pay other student groups in the health service "was populist".
“It is unacceptable other frontline student health professionals within the health service should not receive equal treatment for their work during the fight against Covid-19, while others do.”
Mr Figgis said it was “ not an exaggeration to suggest some departments were on breaking point a couple of weeks ago due to the number of existing staff on Covid-19 leave due to the need for self-isolation”.
The HSE did not reply to a request for comment on the student radiographer issue.
