Around 50 nursing posts unavailable to cover services in Naas General Hospital, says Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has claimed that around 50 nursing posts are unavailable to cover frontline services in Naas General Hospital.

The INMO added that Naas General Hospital management "failed" at a recent meeting to "produce realistic proposals to address the staffing deficits on front line rosters. "

It also claims that nurses had expected a review of services, a consolidating of rosters and a stablisation of clinical environments.

11 patients on trolleys at Naas Hospital

Health

Joe Hoolan, the Industrial Relations Officer of the INMO, explained in a statement: "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."

He continued: "The INMO again call on hospital management to examine how to stabilise clinical areas, reduce the risk to staff and patients, and temporarily close non-essential services if necessary."

Teen receives injuries in early morning assault in Naas

Incident

The INMO also revealed that it will be holding an emergency meeting of nurse managers later today, after receiving what it says are "warnings from staff about unsafe clinical environments and staffing levels."

The organisation also recently claimed that hospitals around the country were experiencing worst overcrowding since the pandemic began.

According to the INMO, The most overcrowded hospitals in Ireland today are:

• Cork University Hospital – 50
• University Hospital Limerick – 42
• University Hospital Galway – 37
• Sligo University Hospital – 29
• Letterkenny University Hospital – 27
• Mayo University Hospital – 27

The highest previous figure for patients on trolleys since the pandemic began was 385 on the August 10.

Overcrowding remains a problem at Naas Hospital

Health

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said about the news: "Overcrowded hospitals can act as infection hotspots for COVID. Vaccination has made a massive difference, but there are still big dangers for frontline healthcare workers."

She added that frontline workers are regularly exposed to the virus and that its members have reported long-term impacts.

"We need maximum protection for frontline staff," she added. "We need to see proper audits of every healthcare workplace to ensure that ventilation meets a high standard. We have a huge amount of data on how this virus spreads – now it is time to act on it.”

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