An overcrowding crisis this week at University Hospital Galway (UHG) – that led to the deferral of ‘non-urgent’ elective procedures – will be a recurring problem unless a beds and nursing shortage issue is resolved, it was warned this week.
Patients experienced long delays on trolleys at the Emergency Department (ED) of UHG on Tuesday, while the hospital also made efforts ‘to identify people who are suitable for discharge’.
However, the INO (Irish Nurses Organisation) told the Galway City Tribune that the problems of this week at UHG – when the hospital’s Full Capacity Protocol had to be implemented – would keep on recurring, unless investment measures were put in places.
“One of the core problems at the hospital is bed capacity and unless that issue is tackled, there is simply no place to accommodate the patients,” said Regina Durcan, Industrial Relation Officer with the INO.
She also said that UHG, along with other hospitals across the country, also was under serious pressure because of a nurses’ shortage.
“We have exported thousands of our qualified nurses and unless pay and conditions improve here, we are just not going to get them back.
“When we let many of our nursing graduates go due to the employment moratorium, we were just putting in place a situation where we would be having more problems down the line,” said Regina Durcan.
For more on the hospital crisis, see this week’s Galway City Tribune
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