Over 682 patients are being treated on trolleys, chairs or in other inappropriate bed spaces today according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
The number of patients being treated without a bed in Irish hospitals is very concerning and does not bode well for the St.Brigid’s day bank holiday weekend ahead. Dangerous levels of overcrowding is not confined to one or two hospitals, we are seeing extremely high number of patients being treated in inappropriate spaces right across the country.
The HSE needs to immediately outline how it will be planning to discharge patients ahead of the weekend including the rostering on of senior clinical decision-makers across all sites.
The sheer number of patients on trolleys is not helped by the fact that practically all hospitals are running short because of the HSE recruitment freeze which is having a detrimental impact on patient and staff safety.
We are continuing to hear from our members that vulnerable patients being are being placed on infection control and other high-risk wards, despite nursing staff identifying significant risks. This practice needs to end.
It is clear that there has been no let up for patients and nursing staff trying to care safely in impossible conditions.