Our Lady of Lourdes Drogheda has seventy one fewer nurses than there should be
Last week the INMO called on management to take extraordinary measures
There are seventy-one fewer nurses than there should be at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda according to Louth Labour TD Ged Nash.
It comes as twenty-four people are waiting on trolleys in the hospital this morning after thirty-three people were waiting on both Monday and Tuesday this week.
Deputy Nash was speaking in the Dail yesterday where he asked Taoiseach Simon Harris when will the health service recruitment ban be lifted?
He said: “It is affecting real people, especially the over-75s. It is June, yet, yesterday morning 33 people were on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.
“That number, unfortunately, has repeated itself today. There are 43 in Cork today and 34 in Galway, which is unprecedented for June.
“This is because these hospitals are not allowed to recruit the nurses who have actually been cleared to take up roles in hospitals such as Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
“There is a deficit of 71 whole-time equivalent nursing professionals in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital. That is 71 fewer nurses than there should be. Management, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and SIPTU are firefighting to support patients and to support stricken staff.
“Bernard Gloster, the head of the HSE, is in the media today talking up the possibility of the removal of the recruitment ban and saying that it will be lifted soon. When will the HSE recruitment ban be lifted?”
In response the Taoiseach said:
“We are having a meeting of the Cabinet committee on health in early July, I believe, and I look forward to seeing whether we can bring progress to that issue of the pay and numbers strategy there because discussions are ongoing between the HSE and the Department of Health.
“However, there is broad agreement in relation to the pay and numbers strategy. The Minister has approved the allocation of the 2024 new development posts, along with the roll-out of safe staffing through the conversion of 418 agency staff. I can get specific figures in relation to the Deputy's local hospital.”
Last week the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) called on management at Our Lady of Lourdes in Drogheda to take urgent action on hospital overcrowding.
INMO Industrial Relations Officer for Our Lady of Lourdes Maurice Sheehan said:
“Our members in Our Lady of Lourdes are deeply concerned about the number of seriously ill patients who are ending up on trolleys throughout the hospital without an adequate number of nursing staff rostered to care safely for them.
“Our members have raised this very urgent issue with their union and hospital management.
“We know that large volumes of patients on trolleys for extended periods of time can have negative impacts on the long-term health outcomes of patients and also staff safety.
“The issues in Our Lady of Lourdes are being compounded by the HSE’s recruitment freeze, which is making it even more difficult for our members to be able to provide safe care.
“The INMO is now calling on the hospital to take extraordinary measures in order to reduce the number of patients on trolleys.”