INMO 'extremely' concerned as overcrowding at Irish hospitals reaches year-high

Overcrowding at Irish hospitals has reached its highest level since the beginning of the year. 

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), 669 people including 28 children are without a bed today (October 25). 

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, called it "extremely concerning but not surprising". 

She said, "We have seen a 27% increase of patients on trolleys in the last week. A range of measures must be taken now in the short to medium term including the curtailment of all non-emergency, elective care.

"Capacity from the private sector must be provided immediately. There needs to be a laser focus on the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives. 

"Hospitals must issue public statements encouraging people to consider alternative care pathways in the community and outline clearly what the real time waits are to be admitted to hospital are." 

The most overcrowded hospital nationwide this morning is University Hospital Limerick with 80 patients waiting for beds, followed by 72 people at Cork University Hospital, 51 people each at Letterkenny University Hospital and St James' Hospital, 45 at University Hospital Galway and 35 at Sligo University Hospital. 

Just five hospitals are free from overcrowding today. 

Ms Ní Sheaghdha continued: "We are now calling on the Health Service Executive, Minister for Health and the Health and Safety Authority to take immediate action in the worst hit spots. The specialist teams for Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Galway must be deployed today.

"The health and safety of our members and the patients they are trying their best to care for must take priority. We know that they are currently operating in truly unsafe care environments.

"The fact of the matter is the HSE and Department of Health must do everything in their power to ensure that our hospitals are adequately staffed and that each hospital has the ability to retain staff who are currently overwhelmed by their workload. We cannot afford to have unacceptably high nursing staffing vacancies coupled with an overcrowding crisis." 

She concluded: "If Government and HSE are serious about keeping Irish nurses in Irish hospitals then they must take immediate action on safe staffing, fast tracking recruitment and getting private hospitals on the pitch now.”