The challenges of overcrowding in Irish hospitals continue to place immense pressure on nurses, particularly when it comes to caring for patients on trolleys. Your voice and experiences are vital in shaping the conversation around these issues and advocating for better solutions.

Following a joint meeting of the officers of both the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Fórsa Health and Welfare Division, both unions will be asking their executives to endorse a plan for industrial action over the coming weeks. 

Vacancies have now arisen for two Industrial Relations Officers to service our growing membership for the Dublin and Galway areas ona  12-month contract basis (panels for future appointments may be made by region):

• Dublin Office: South Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Laois and Offlay
• Galway Office: West & Northwest region

681 patients are being treated on trolleys, chairs and in other inappropriate bed spaces according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for an emergency national plan to deal with overcrowding in our hospitals, as 761 patients are on trolleys this morning.

122,186 patients, including 2043 children, were admitted to hospital without a bed in 2024 according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s TrolleyWatch.