The general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization stated on Wednesday that nurses will consider going on strike unless the government intervenes and resolves the present "crisis" in Irish hospitals.
The second-highest number of patients waiting for a bed at 838, according to the union, was recorded on Wednesday morning. With a record-breaking 913 people placed on trolleys, Tuesday saw the highest number.
Leo Varadkar, the Taoiseach, acknowledged this scenario is "not acceptable" on Wednesday.
According to Mr. Varadkar, "The Government and the HSE [Health Service Executive] arm are doing everything they can to rectify the situation."
The INMO's general secretary, Phil N. Sheaghdha, stated that if things don't get better everywhere, the union may consider taking industrial action.
Ms. N. Sheaghdha stated that "the government must pay attention to the frontline employees." "We're not delighted to be requested to enter those situations on a regular basis if they are stating that "this has escalated to a point where it is beyond hazardous."
We don't believe the proposed remedies are anything other than "wait till the situation reaches a maximum and then deal with it" at the moment.
The INMO criticised the Government in a press release issued on Wednesday morning, claiming that nurses were left to apologise on the State's behalf to patients and families.
"Our members provide care for patients in the most inhumane circumstances. In a nation with the means to offer more capacity and support, they shouldn't be offering this kind of treatment."
The health minister, Stephen Donnelly, was expected to brief cabinet members on the situation' escalation on Wednesday morning.
Dr. Peadar Gilligan, a consultant in emergency medicine, advocated for the full capacity standard to be implemented at all hospitals with emergency departments during an appearance on RTÉ radio's Morning Ireland on Wednesday.
Dr. Gilligan, who works at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin, explained that if the protocol were to be put into practise, patients who needed to be on wards would no longer be kept in the emergency room. Instead, they would be transferred to ward areas, "where they may well be in a bed or a trolley awaiting further care, but that is a safer environment."
"Moving one or two patients to a ward is safer than treating the emergency room like it had rubber walls," the doctor said.
He noted that there were already 34 patients in the emergency room at Beaumont Hospital who had been evaluated and found to be appropriate for admission, but there were no available hospital beds, making the situation there "especially tough."
In essence, he continued, "it means that patients who are waiting for a hospital bed are occupying the whole capacity of the ED."
The answer, according to Dr. Gilligan, is to increase capacity: 5,000 acute beds must be provided promptly.
When questioned if the current circumstances put patient lives in danger, Dr. Gilligan responded, "Definitely."
The diagnosis and treatment of heart attacks, strokes, and the delivery of antibiotics were all delayed due to overcrowding in emergency rooms.
"There are undoubtedly clinical repercussions from our failure to build the capacity that the system so obviously requires. There is obviously a risk to lives. The fact is that our system is lacking the necessary number of beds.
