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Hospital overcrowding: Calls for Ireland to poach nurses from UK and Australia

A record number of people are now waiting for beds, with the INMO saying industrial action is likely due to ‘chronic overcrowding’.

Updated: 17.37

THERE ARE 563 patients waiting for admission to Emergency Departments in hospitals around the country – a record high.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has called on the Department of Health and the HSE to plan recruitment drives for nurses in the UK and Australia to help combat the problem.

As of this morning, there were 50 patients on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, 41 in St Vincent’s University Hospital, 39 in St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny and 34 in Mayo General Hospital.

A full breakdown of the number of people on trolleys in Emergency Departments is available here.

The HSE has apologised to families for “any distress caused by the delays experienced in EDs”. The body has encouraged patients to “contact their GPs in the first instance where they can be directed appropriately to services such as rapid access clinics, day hospital services for older people and acute medical assessment units, as appropriate”.

In a statement released this evening, the HSE noted:

The pressure on Emergency Departments seen in recent weeks is likely to continue in the weeks ahead as the seasonal surge in demand continues. The numbers of patients on trolleys is higher than the same time last year, and it is for this reason that Minister Varadkar recently convened and attended the Emergency Taskforce.

“This Taskforce brings together representatives from unions (including the INMO and IMO), clinicians and HSE representatives, in order to develop practical responses to the increasing challenges facing our publicly-funded hospitals.”

The HSE said a number of plans were in place to deal with overcrowding such as opening additional overflow areas, curtailing non-emergency surgery, providing additional diagnostics and strengthening discharge planning. €25 million has been provided for delayed discharge patients in 2015.

The INMO has made a number suggestions to tackle the problem, including:

  • The cancellation of all planned elective (routine) admissions to acute hospitals, for a minimum of two weeks.
  • The immediate opening of additional acute continuing-care beds; 
  • The allocation of additional resources to community services to increase the number of home care packages/community nurses allowing patients be maintained in their own home.

The INMO said its members in Drogheda, Beaumont, Naas, Mullingar, Galway and the Mid-West (Limerick) Hospital Group have, or will, commence balloting for industrial action, due to chronic overcrowding.

‘Truly shocking’

The group’s General Secretary Liam Doran said today’s figures are “truly shocking and cannot be ignored by health service management, Department of Health and the whole of Government”.

Emergency department overcrowding was declared a national emergency when we had just under 500 people on trolleys in 2006. We now have 563 patients on trolleys, in the first working week of the New Year, with the situation worsening on a daily basis. This is a national emergency. This is a health service crisis which must be addressed.

“Radical action is now required which must not be limited by resources as we must end this misery for vulnerable sick patients,” Doran stated.

He added that unless immediate action is taken, there could be over 600 patients waiting on trolleys by next week.

INMO said patient care is being compromised in the following ways:

  • Palliative care patients being left on trolleys for over four days;
  • Elderly, frail patients, with chest and other conditions, being left on trolleys with no dignity or privacy; 
  • Despite excessive workloads, and overcrowding, hospital management were unable to find additional nursing staff resulting in dangerously high workloads upon nursing staff.

Originally published: 13.18

INMO calls on nurses to boycott increased registration fee

7,000 emergency department patients were on trolleys last month

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93 Comments
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    Mute Diarmuid Dorney
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 8:40 AM

    Salmonella would certainly be an unwanted surprise from a kinder egg

    126
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    Mute Jason Walsh
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 8:57 AM

    @Diarmuid Dorney: Thankfully our American friends won’t suffer salmonella from a Kinde Egg cause they aren’t allowed for sale due to the toy being a choking hazard. American kids must unhinged their jaws and try to eat them whole or something.

    54
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    Mute El Sparko
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 9:01 AM

    @Diarmuid Dorney: I wonder does the salmonella come fully assembled or is there a 5 step instruction leaflet along with some small stickers…

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    Mute CryptoFactor ☘️
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 11:23 AM

    @Jason Walsh: You think it’s the egg that’s the chocking hazard?? It’s the toy. Silly law in a country where children can legally own guns.

    12
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    Mute Kevin O'Brien
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 11:39 AM

    @Jason Walsh: Can’t buy a Kinder Egg in Walmart because they are dangerous. You can buy a gun though. Makes perfect sense.

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    Mute Oliver Walker
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 11:09 AM

    Surprise

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    Mute Derek Moran
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 5:56 PM

    Whats german for unwanted pregnancy? Kinder surprise. Lol…

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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 12:26 PM

    Did you ever notice that most Salmonella, Listeria and Campylobacter causing Food Poisoning comes from Animal Products ?
    Do you think they are trying to tell us something ?
    Isn’t it about time we gave up on cruelty to animals – forcing them to be pregnant so as we can take their milk to make ‘chocolate eggs’ ?

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    Mute D. Memery
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 1:07 PM

    @The world outside the M50: have you noticed how Salmonella can also occur with vegetables and leafy greens, rice, fruit or sprouts?
    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-that-cause-food-poisoning#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9
    Maybe we should just stop eating full stop?
    Maybe you should adopt your own handle and look at the world outside the M50?

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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 1:29 PM

    @D. Memery: Maybe you missed the word ‘MOST’ so I repeat it in capitals for you.
    The main reason for the rare Salmonella on Vegetables is the use of improperly treated ANIMAL MANURE and irrigating with contaminated water – SO nothing to do with the vegetables in an of themselves but outside factors.
    No – we obviously should not stop eating – but we need to remember where Swine Flu, Avian Flu, SARS, COVID and other Zoonotic diseases come from – our interaction with animals.
    Factory Farming is the culprit here not eating.
    As for looking at the world outside the M50 – I’m glad that I don’t live inside it.

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    Mute lelookcoco
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 2:44 PM

    @The world outside the M50: You do realise a kinder egg is not an animal product. It’s actually a chocolate egg!

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    Mute OConnelj
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 2:49 PM

    @lelookcoco: where do you get your milk? Coconuts?

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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 9:49 PM

    @lelookcoco: You do realise a kinder egg uses Milk from an animal ???
    You do realise that what they call ‘Milk’ Chocolate is because they get Mammary Juice from the Cow ?
    Wake up to what you and your children are eating – there is even a ‘pus’ count now for milk

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    Mute Elaine Phelan
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    Apr 4th 2022, 10:58 PM
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    Mute The world outside the M50
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    Apr 8th 2022, 10:00 PM

    @Elaine Phelan: The main reason for the rare Salmonella on Vegetables is the use of improperly treated ANIMAL MANURE and irrigating with contaminated water – SO nothing to do with the vegetables in an of themselves but outside factors.

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    Mute Pat O'Leary
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    Apr 3rd 2022, 11:49 AM

    Our small fella’s favourite treat :-(

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