Safety risk to hospital staff ‘unacceptable’
UNION CALLS FOR URGENT INSPECTION
THE Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for an urgent inspection of Sligo University Hospital after staff raised overcrowding and fire safety issues.
Nurses and midwives are concerned that the “extraordinarily” high levels of patients will pose a problem if they ever need to evacuate.
They also believe the overcrowding issue particularly in the Emergency Department could see more assaults on workers and said there is a high risk of infection transmission.
The union also revealed a staggering 5,901 people at the hospital were treated on trollies since January.
The IMNO also said staff were facing increased workloads which was leading to burnout and revealed they are regularly not able to take breaks on their shifts.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer for Sligo, Neal Donohue said: “These safety issues extend throughout the hospital, but the conditions in the Emergency Department are so concerning we have no choice but to call for an urgent inspection.
“It’s simply not acceptable for staff to be at this much risk inside a hospital, and it’s beyond demoralising for our members when their basic safety needs are not being met.”
He added: “We need to be making nursing and midwifery more attractive, but at the moment we’re not meeting minimum standards in terms of working conditions.”
Care
A HSE spokeswoman told The Irish Daily Star: “Sligo University Hospital is committed to providing the best possible care and services to all patients and families.
“At 8am [yesterday] morning there were 16 patients on trolleys in Sligo University Hospital awaiting admission to a bed on a ward.
“There are staff assigned to care for patients who are in the Emergency Department awaiting a hospital bed on a ward.”