The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) Phil Ní Sheaghdha has said that hospital overcrowding is out of control once again ahead of an extremely busy weekend.
She said that the level of overcrowding in some of our emergency departments warrants a national response. A total of 651 patients are without beds in Irish hospitals today according to the union.
Fifty-two of those patients are on trolleys at University Hospital Galway, while 12 patients are without beds at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.
Meanwhile, the chaos at University Hospital Limerick continues with some 116 people on trolleys.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the INMO has been in contact with the new Chief Executive Officer of the Health Service Executive seeking an urgent meeting in the next 24 hours ahead of “an extremely busy bank holiday weekend for our members.”
“It is clear that the system is now completely overwhelmed. We need targeted measures to tackle this crisis, particularly in the Midwest where the overcrowding is completely out of hand.”
