UHG is the second most overcrowded hospital in Ireland today, getting worse after two days in a row as the third worst nationwide.
There are 51 patients without a proper bed today at UHG according to the INMO’s daily Trolley/Ward Watch, which keeps track of patients on trolleys in the A&E or packed into overcapacity wards.
For the second day in a row there are 760 patients without a proper bed at public hospitals nationwide, the same as yesterday’s record breaking level.
This is the worst level of hospital overcrowding ever seen in Ireland, breaking the previous record set on March
Back in Galway there are a further 21 patients without a bed at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe, and after UHG and UHL the worst affected hospitals today are Cork and Letterkenny (47 each), and South Tipperary (44).
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has written to the Minister for Health calling for a major incident declaration at the worst affected hospitals, and the cancellation of all elective surgeries and non-emergency admissions.
The union also says that all nursing and midwifery posts which are awaiting sign-off in acute hospitals need to be immediately approved.
“This extreme overcrowding presents a clear danger to patients and staff alike,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
She added that stabilising our hospital system will require “immediate political intervention” and that the longer this level of overcrowding continues, the greater the risk to patients will be.
“We have written to the minister calling for action. We need to grasp the nettle and declare a major incident, cancel electives, and immediately approve recruitment for the worst-hit hospitals.”
The INMO repeated demand for an end to the HSE’s recruitment freeze was also reiterated.
