This article is from page 23 of the 2012-02-07 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 23 JPG
CLARE patients are being advised to avoid an over-crowded Emergency Department at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
An increase in patient numbers is putting the service under pressure, and the issue is aggravated by the presence of the winter vomiting bug in the hospital.
According to figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives As- sociation there were 27 people on trolleys in the hospital yesterday (Monday) an increase of 21 from Friday.
A spokesperson for the HSE asked people to “please consider using your general practitioner where possible and avoid attending the Emergency Department unless absolutely necessary”.
“The hospital is experiencing a significant increase in Emergency Department attendances with increased in-patient admissions. As a result all in-patient capacity is under great demand and this is aggravated by the presence of winter vomiting bug in the hospital.
“Your co-operation in this matter is much appreciated,” he said.
Meanwhile, the regional hospital that serves most of north and parts of West Clare will soon be manned by over stressed and over worked nurses.
It is estimated that the National University College Hospital, Galway, will lose 60 nurses through retirement before the end of this month, leaving overstretched nursing staff under more pressure.
According to the local Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) this will result in one nurse being left to look after ten to 12 patients at a time.
The INMO’s Gavin Duffy explained that staffing levels at the hospital have already plummeted due to the 2007 monitorium and the 2009 embargo.
Since 2009 no staff have been re- placed or extra staff taken on.
“The lack of skilled nurses won’t take from the dedication of the nurses that are there,” he said, but he warned stress would become part of life for nursing staff as they are pushed to their limit.
“People will burn out and stress will become part of nurses lives,” he warned.
The local INMO is to meet with senior management within the next two weeks to discuss a contingency plan the HSE says it has in place.