INMO seriously concerned at overcrowding at Letterkenny and Sligo hospitals

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has expressed serious concern at the increase in overcrowding at Letterkenny University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital in recent days.

The union has also expressed concern about the "severe shortage" of nursing and midwifery staff at both hospitals.

INMO figures put a  total of sixty-five patients waiting for beds at the two hospitals on Wednesday morning - 34 in Sligo and 31 in Letterkenny - up from 58 on Tuesday.

On Tuesday the  Saolta University Health Care Group, which manages both hospitals, said Letterkenny University Hospital had been seeing record levels of attendances recently.

 INMO deputy general secretary David Hughes called for the urgent recruitment of nurses and midwives at both hospitals. 

“Without extra staff we are looking at continued staffing shortages and unsafe hospital environments,” he said.

 He also called for “zero tolerance of overcrowding” in Irish hospitals. 

“Overcrowding is unacceptable any time, but even more so when dealing with a contagious virus. Covid-19 poses huge risks to patient and staff safety.

“Staff and patients must be protected. We cannot see a return to hospital corridors lined with patients on trolleys.”

 Mr Hughes also called on management at both hospitals to conduct specific Covid-19 risk assessments to share those risk assessments with workplace safety representatives and the INMO. 

“The INMO has recently raised these very serious health and safety concerns with management at both hospitals and the Health and Safety Authority on Sligo University Hospital,” he said. 

“The Health and Safety Authority has echoed those concerns and had already written to HSE CEO Paul Reid seeking compliance with the Health and Safety Act and the Biological Agents Directive which requires special Covid-19 risk assessments in all acute hospitals. This must also apply to Letterkenny University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital.”

 In a statement, Saolta said the record levels of attendances at Letterkenny University Hospital is putting high pressure on the hospital.

 It said there are more people presenting for ambulatory care and for episodic care and more people coming in for deferred care because of either Covid-19 surges, cancellations or as a result of the recent cyber-attack. 

“Many patients in the emergency department are being admitted with complicated illnesses, complex care-needs and require longer stays in hospital. All the while, the number of Covid-19 infections in the community is growing and resulting in hospitalisations.”

 It said the throughput of planned care has been reduced throughout the pandemic due to the need to operate “with two different pathways” for patients with or suspected of having Covid-19 and one for those without.

 The group said the hospital  is currently undertaking the largest recruitment campaign in its history with “approximately 50 recruitment campaigns underway/due to be advertised”.

 The campaigns include recruitment of staff in nursing, management, admin, facilities and support and health and social care professionals.   Twenty of the recruitment campaigns are for senior nursing roles.