INMO call for urgent action as hospital overcrowding 'out of control' and system 'completely overwhelmed'

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has today described the situation in hospitals as ‘out of control’ ahead of the St. Patrick’s weekend.

There were a total of 651 patients without beds in Irish hospitals as of the morning of March 15, according to the latest figures released by the INMO.

Speaking about the hike in numbers, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said a national response is warranted in some counties.

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“It is clear that hospital overcrowding is out of control once again,” she said.

“The level of overcrowding in some of our emergency departments warrants a national response.

“The INMO has been in contact with the new Chief Executive Officer of the Health Service Executive seeking an urgent meeting in the next 24 hours ahead of what will be an extremely busy bank holiday weekend for our members”.

She went on to say that the system is completely overwhelmed and measures are now vital to control the situation.

“It is clear that the system is now completely overwhelmed. We need targeted measures to tackle this crisis, particularly in the Midwest where the overcrowding is completely out of hand.”

This comes after University Hospital Limerick (UHL) confirmed that 278 people attended its emergency department within a 24-hour period this week.

This massive influx resulted in the cancellation of most non-urgent care. The hospital made a statement that confirmed that “all but the most time-critical elective surgery” have been cancelled today.

Their statement went on to say: “We apologise to all patients affected by this decision, who are being contacted directly by hospital staff”.

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