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Hospitals

Galway nurses to protest 'severe overcrowding' in Emergency Department

The INMO said today nurses are finishing shifts “in a distressed state, experiencing burnout and frustration at the lack of action”.

NURSES AT UNIVERSITY Hospital Galway will hold a lunchtime protest at the hospital entrance on Wednesday to highlight “severe overcrowding” in the Emergency Department and other issues.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said patients are being “deprived of care with dignity” and nurses are also protesting against the “inadequate availability of beds throughout the hospital”.

“Assessment and waiting times for patients continues to increase and nurses are unable to provide care to patients in a timely manner, and are well outside the agreed, internationally accepted protocols and timelines,” the organisation said.

The hospital covers a population of 70,000 people the the INMO said the Emergency Department is “simply too small to deal with such a large geographical region”.

Speaking today, INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Clare Treacy, said:

INMO members are gravely concerned for the wellbeing of patients who have to suffer the indignity of being nursed on a corridor for days at a time. The levels of overcrowding and staff shortages are impinging on their ability to provide safe quality care to patients. This overcrowding in the month of September is unprecedented and can only get worse as we enter the winter months.

The INMO said nurses are now finishing shifts “in a distressed state, experiencing burnout and frustration at the lack of action to this on-going problem”.

It asked patients and members of the public to support the protest from 1pm at the entrance to the hospital on Wednesday.

Read: ‘Winter is coming’ and nurses say Irish hospitals are not prepared>

Read: Talks stall between IMO and HSE on consultant doctors>

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