Approximately 50 nursing posts are unavailable to cover frontline services in Naas General Hospital, the INMO has warned.
The INMO is holding an emergency meeting of nurse managers today (Tuesday), after receiving warnings from staff about unsafe clinical environments and staffing levels.
At a recent meeting with hospital management and the INMO, management failed to produce realistic proposals to address the staffing deficits on front-line rosters. Union members had expected management to review services, consolidate rosters and stabilise clinical environments.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Joe Hoolan, said:
Our members should not have to ask management to provide a safe environment, and patients deserve to be cared for with safe staffing levels.
It is not acceptable that management would propose to keep all services fully open while wards, specialist units and Intensive Care Units are left short-staffed.
The INMO again call on the hospital management to examine how to stabilise clinical areas, reduce the risk to staff and patients, and temporarily close non-essential services if necessary.
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