INMO warns of a ‘very bleak winter’ for hospitals as over 9,100 patients without a bed in July

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has spoken of its fears for the winter with a possible Covid and flu “twindemic” given that more than 9,191 patients went without a bed in the month of July.

The most overcrowded hospitals in the month of July were University Hospital Limerick, Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway, St Vincent’s University Hospital and Sligo University Hospital. INMO director of professional services Tony Fitzpatrick warns that the level of hospital overcrowding seen throughout this summer has been a cause of serious concern.

“Since the beginning of May we have seen 27,832 patients without a bed in Irish hospitals, including 9,191 in July. The fact that 95 children under the age of 16 have been without hospital beds in July should absolutely not be tolerated. Unless we see a hospital-by-hospital plan to tackle overcrowding, we are in for a very bleak winter in Irish hospitals which will see nurses and patients in extremely unsafe circumstances.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said that we need to heed the warnings from our colleagues in Australia when it comes to mitigating the impact of both flu and Covid in Irish hospitals over the coming months.

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“We cannot afford to have a Covid and flu ‘twindemic’ in Irish hospitals this winter. Vaccinations for both Covid and flu should be offered to healthcare workers as soon as possible.

Nurses and other healthcare staff cannot be expected to sustain this type of pressure right into the winter. If the Government and HSE are serious about retaining those who already work in the health service, meaningful action must be taken to ensure safe care conditions for both patients and staff. No nurse wants to have to care for patients in sub-optimal conditions.”

Meanwhile, the HSE has confirmed that as of Friday there were 29 confirmed Covid patients in ICU/HDU, 15 Covid-confirmed patients were being invasively ventilated, 294 patients were in ICU/HDU while 132 patients were being invasively ventilated.

Ireland’s Covid-19 data hub has indicated that the latest confirmed cases of Covid (PCR) totalled 523 as of Wednesday, July 27th.