HOSPITAL OVERCROWDING HAS reached its highest level in nearly four years.<\/p>\n
There are currently 824 people on trolleys around the country, according to figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The INMO has called for an \u201cimmediate and decisive response\u201d from the HSE including the \u201ccessation of all elective activity in acute hospitals, with private hospital capacity purchased to accommodate this work\u201d.<\/p>\n
INMO General Secretary Phil N\u00ed Sheaghdha called the situation \u201cdangerous\u201d and said it requires \u201cimmediate action\u201d.<\/p>\n
She said the HSE and Department of Health need to be \u201chonest with the public about the dire situation facing the majority of our emergency departments\u201d.<\/p>\n
She criticised department-imposed \u201crestrictions\u201d on recruitment processes and said department sign-offs cause an \u201cextremely delayed process that creates significant risks for frontline patient care and staff safety\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe HSE cannot restrict recruitment while simultaneously expecting existing services and capacity to continue regardless of the staffing available\u201d, she continued.<\/p>\n
The last time the number of patients on trolleys around the country was over 824 was in January 2023.<\/p>\n