'Completely unworkable' - INMO reveals record overcrowding at Irish hospital

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has revealed record overcrowding figures at an Irish hospital. 

According to the INMO's daily Trolley Watch report, a total of 529 patients are waiting for beds at hospitals today, with a record 88 patients in Cork University Hospital (CUH). 

The INMO's Industrial Relations Officer, Liam Conway, called the situation at CUH "completely unworkable". 

He said, "The bed deficit that currently exists in both CUH and the community is completely unacceptable. There is no real or meaningful plan to support the CUH Emergency Department and its surrounds when it comes to increasing bed capacity in the months ahead. Urgent engagement is required to ensure that discharge facilities are available in the community.

"A bespoke taskforce is now needed to tackle the ongoing issues in Cork University Hospital. Our members in CUH will not tolerate another winter where they are exposed to excessive workloads which leads to excessive burnout." 

CUH isn't the only overcrowded hospital nationwide today, with 73 patients waiting at University Hospital Limerick, 42 at University Hospital Galway, 38 at St Luke's Kilkenny and 31 at Letterkenny Unversity Hospital. 

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, called today "another worrying day in the Irish health service". 

She said, "We are on a very dangerous path to unprecedented hospital overcrowding this winter and beyond. 

"Our daily trolley figures indicate a real problem all across the western seaboard and the midwest. Nurses in these hospitals are incredibly burnt out and indicating that they are working in unsafe staffing situations before the worst of the winter has even hit.

"The INMO will now seek to engage with the relevant health and safety authorities such as the HSA and HIQA. We will be seeking that fire officers inspect areas with high overcrowding." 

Ms Ní Sheaghdha also called for Budget 2023 to be "ambitious" when it comes to increasing capacity and ensuring beds are staffed adequately. 

The overall 2023 allocation for health (€23.4billion) was announced in the Budget yesterday (September 27) by the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, with the INMO calling for "more clarity" on how it will be spent. 

Speaking after the Budget was announced, Ms Ní Sheaghdha said, "The continued increase in health spending is welcome if it is guaranteed that money is spent in an efficient way. We need to ensure that money allocated to the Department of Health is spent to get staffing right, building up capacity and moving to the universal care model as envisioned by Sláintecare. 

"While we know from Minister McGrath’s speech today that an additional 6,000 workers will be employed across the health sector, no specifics were offered when it comes to exactly how many nurses and midwives will be recruited." 

She continued: "Recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives deserves a laser focus in the year ahead.

"The same way we have a pupil-teacher ratio embedded in Budgets year on year. We need to see a patient-nurse ratio that dictates what the safest level of staffing should be in each of our acute hospitals. When our children enter school we expect them to be in an environment where they can get the attention they need to thrive, why don’t we expect the same when a loved one is in hospital? 

"We are currently seeing levels of 15 patients to 1 nurse. We are seeing instances of maternity wards closing because of staffing issues. This is unsustainable. Money allocated in Budget 2023 must be used to develop a safe and sustainable staffing levels as envisioned in the Sage Staffing Framework in Nursing and Midwifery.

"While reductions to the Student Contribution Charge for our student members is welcome, student nurses and midwives are still paying above the odds for accommodation costs to carry out their placements, which is a core part of their training. The Minister for Finance must clarify if students qualify for the Renters’ Tax Credit." 

According to Ms Ní Sheaghdha, the government must also do more to reduce the cost-of-living near large hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Galway in order to ensure young nurses and midwives see Ireland as a viable place to work. 

She said, "The government will have to go further than a tax credit for renters to keep the future of our health service here.

"As one of the first organisations to recognise and highlight the real challenges women with menopause face in the workplace, we welcome that HRT and period products will now be VAT free.

"Much more detail for health spending is now required.”