Over 100,000 hospital patients have been left waiting on trolleys so far this year, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation  (INMO) has said.

According to its Trolley Watch figures, as of November 8, a total of 100,195 patients have been left waiting on trolleys in 2022, including 1,903 children.

The worst affected hospitals this year have been University Hospital Limerick (15,322), Cork University Hospital (10,107), Sligo University Hospital (6,919) and St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin (6,359).

The INMO is calling for a four-pronged approach to tackle this issue:

-The cancellation of non-urgent elective care in public hospitals and use of private hospitals for this work

-The introduction of staff retention measures including the provision of accommodation for essential workers, such as nurses and midwives, particularly in rent pressure zones 

-Legislation to underpin the implementation of the safe staffing and skill mix framework

-Prioritisation of funding for publicly delivered long-term care in the community.

“This is the earliest in any given year that trolley figures have reached this unacceptable level. It is not good enough that nurses and the patients they are trying to provide safe care to are expected to accept this as normal,” noted INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

She said that behind these figures “are vulnerable patients trapped in undignified and unsafe conditions”.

“Our members are working incredibly hard but it is clear that our public health service can no longer provide both emergency care and elective care. To that end we are calling for all non-urgent elective care in public hospitals to be curtailed. Private hospitals must be now brought on the pitch to provide elective care until the end of March 2023 at the very least,” Ms Ní Sheaghdha insisted.

She warned that many nurses and midwives are signalling their intention to leave the profession or go abroad to work in safer conditions.

“Directors of nursing and midwifery in hospitals are telling us how incredibly difficult it is to recruit but also retain staff particularly in large hospitals. We are now calling on the Government to deal with this unsafe, unacceptable and inhumane situation.

“While it is welcome that safe staffing is prioritised in the winter plan, we know that in many hospitals safe staffing is not being met. A number of hospitals around the country have insufficient rosters and inappropriate skill mix to provide safe care,” she pointed out.

She said that announcements about increased bed capacity are a “meaningless endeavour if you do not have the staff to ensure that these beds can be opened safely”.

“The situation is worsening every day. Every possible measure that can be taken in the coming days and weeks must be taken,” Ms Ní Sheaghdha added.