NURSES AT NAAS General Hospital are to ballot for industrial action because of what they term the “unsafe conditions” there.

Twenty four beds remain closed off in the hospital, along with a medical assessment unit.

Derek Reilly, industrial relations officer with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation claimed that hospital management has placed patients on trolleys throughout the hospital in an effort to ‘play down’ the figures in the emergency department.

These patients do not have access to oxygen and other vital equipment, and crucially, the hospital is chronically understaffed. These patients are not in a safe environment.

He added that nursing staff are “exasperated” with the situation and that they have complied with HSE initiatives to alleviate overcrowding but have “not received cooperation from consultants and management at the hospital”.

He said:

We have no choice but to take action to highlight our concerns with regard to patient safety and the terrible working conditions our members have to endure.

Balloting will take place next week.

TheJournal.ie put the above comments to the HSE, but a spokesperson said it will not be commenting while a ballot is in process.