Overcrowding in Tallaght Hospital emergency department ‘intolerable’ says INMO
Overcrowding and staffing shortages in Tallaght Hospital’s emergency department have been called ‘intolerable’ by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
According to the INMO, they raised these issues last Wednesday in a meeting with hospital management to discuss the difficulties nursing staff face daily at the hospital.
The INMO added that management confirmed that six nursing posts, specifically required to care for admitted patients in the emergency department as part of an agreement between the INMO and HSE last July, have yet to commence.
Staffing shortfalls are also causing difficulties in ambulatory care and other services, according to the organisation.
The statement added that the hospital remains in Black Escalation on a continuous basis, including additional trolleys on in-patient wards.
A Black Escalation status means that the hospital is subject to oversight and intervention by the Director General.
According to the HSE, black escalation will be considered “if there is prolonged underperformance that puts quality, safety and/ or financial sustainability at risk”.
The INMO called on the hospital to have senior clinical decision makers on a 24/7 basis within the emergency department.
