Calls for emergency plan as 761 patients wait for hospital bed - INMO

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for an emergency national plan to deal with overcrowding in our hospitals, as 761 patients are on trolleys this morning.

Locally, 28 patients are on trolleys in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda while six are waiting for a bed in Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:

“Nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals are now working in unenviable circumstances in hospitals and community settings as they deal with chronic overcrowding in the middle of a widespread respiratory illness outbreak while national weather warnings are in place.

“It is inconceivable that we are once again talking about how high trolley figures are on the first Monday in January. This level of overcrowding when dealing with the level of flu and RSV that we have seen over the festive season was entirely predictable but there has been no plan in place by the HSE and individual health regions to stem the worst of it.

“Our members want to be able to provide safe care to patients but also be assured that their own health and wellbeing is being protected - neither are guaranteed when they are working in overcrowded conditions where respiratory infections are rife.

“An emergency national plan is needed to deal with the escalating overcrowding problem in part of the country. It is frustrating for our members to see other parts of the public sector coming together so quickly to efficiently deal with the consequences of national weather warnings, yet they are left to deal with entirely predictable annual problems with no new solutions from their employer yet again.

“The HSE and other public sector healthcare employers must reassure nurses, midwives, healthcare workers, and the wider public that extraordinary measures are being taken to address and remove all barriers to delivering safe care during this critical time.”

Meanwhile The GP Out of Hours service, NEDOC received 4,780 calls over the Christmas and New Year season.

GPs managed 3,500 of these calls through in person consultations in the centres, home visits and GP phone consultations according to

During the Christmas weekend the service managed 2,450 calls, with 1,860 patients managed by GP consultation and 580 needed only nurse advice.

The New Year weekend had an additional 2,000 patients make contact with NEDOC, of whom 1,500 were managed by GP consultation and 500 managed by nurse advice.

A spokesperson for NEDOC (North East Doctor on Call) said;

"NEDOC has returned to managing that vast majority of patient consultations on a face-to-face basis, rather than by phone which had been the primary method of consultation during the pandemic.

"Phone consultations continue to be provided to patients who test positive for covid to avoid potential spread of infection amongst other patients. Patients should continue to be wary of covid, which continues to be prevalent in the community.

"There continues to be high levels of respiratory infection in the wider population, much of which can be managed with self-care advice and patients are advised to check self-care advice on www.hse.ie/winter. However do make contact with your GP if symptoms are worsening."