According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), new TrolleyWatch numbers for February indicate that 10,991 patients were left waiting for a hospital bed, reports Breaking News.
University Hospital Limerick (2,247 patients), Cork University Hospital (1,070 patients), University Hospital Galway (987 people), St. Vincent’s University Hospital (651 patients), and Sligo University Hospital (649 patients) were the top five hospitals with the most patient overcrowding.
Numbers have not decreased since the St. Brigid’s Day bank holiday, according to INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, who also cautioned that the HSE “must outline what steps they are taking in the run up to St. Patrick’s Day” because there are two more bank holidays in March.
“Since the end of January, I have been in the majority of hospitals that the INMO counts trolleys in and have witnessed dangerous scenes in many hospitals with patients being treated in completely inappropriate spaces. It is clear that most hospitals are operating at over one hundred per cent occupancy, meaning that patients are being cared for in all available spaces which is unsafe,” reports Breaking News.
“Nurses and midwives are highly trained professionals who have a deep appreciation for the provision of safe care for their patients. It is impossible for them to provide care in a safe manner in the current conditions in our public health system. Many are reporting that the intention to leave, whether to retire early, move abroad or move to another position in the community or private sector, is worryingly high,” reports Breaking News.
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