Latest news with #PhilNíSheaghdha
BreakingNews.ie
4 days ago
- General
- BreakingNews.ie
Nearly 8,200 patients treated on trolleys in hospitals in May
Nearly 8,200 patients, including 75 children, were admitted to hospital without a bed this May, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). The top 5 most overcrowded hospitals include: Advertisement University Hospital Limerick – 2,055 patients; University Hospital Galway – 919 patients; Cork University Hospital - 673 patients; St Vincent's University Hospital - 496 patients; Letterkenny University Hospital - 468 patients. INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: 'The number of people on trolleys is still much too high. We are still seeing near daily instances of over 400 people being treated on trolleys, chairs or other inappropriate bed spaces every day. 'We want to engage proactively with the HSE to ensure that our members are able to cope with the seasonal and predictable challenges that they are likely to encounter over the coming months. 'We are yet again seeing unacceptable levels of overcrowding in the Midwest and West, where there is little to no capacity release valves to help ease overcrowding. The delivery of fully-staffed, additional capacity must be a priority for the HSE in these areas. 'Persistent overcrowding does not just have an impact on patient outcomes, it also impacts nurse and midwife safety and wellbeing. We know that when hospitals are overcrowded assaults are more regular and staff burnout and intention to leave rises. "These are very real issues that need to be addressed by the Health Service Executive.'
Irish Examiner
07-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Assaults of nurses 'are going up', conference told as INMO calls for legislation on staff levels
Nursing shortages coupled with rising patient numbers have led to heightened stress levels in hospitals, with incidents of aggression now commonplace, nurses and midwives have warned. At the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) annual conference in Wexford on Wednesday, members warned hospitals had become volatile workplaces. General secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha called for legislation on safe staffing numbers to ensure pledges for reform of the health service were met. 'We believe this is extremely important. We must get the correct staffing levels,' she told reporters during the conference. 'And it is now our view, our strongly held view, that that has to be legislated for. It won't happen otherwise.' More than 70% of nurses and midwives say staff numbers in their areas do not match demand, and warned patient safety was at risk, a new INMO survey shows. In addition, 55.4% said they experienced aggressive verbal or threatening behaviour at work. One in five experienced physical violence at work. Ms Ní Sheaghdha warned "assaults are going up'. 'The assaults are undoubtedly affected by overcrowding, by the general frustration of people when they attend services to which they're entitled, and they have long delays prior to getting the treatments that they need.' Some 72% of nurses said the current staffing levels and skill mix did not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area. Among this group, more than 90% expressed concern about compromised patient safety, the INMO said. Ms Ní Sheaghdha said: Staffing levels are having a detrimental effect on patient care and a severe impact on nurses' and midwives' ability to protect their own health and safety. The survey also revealed one in five nurses and midwives were going to their GP for work-related stress. 'This would be a scandal in many workplaces and industries, but this is the level of sacrifice that is expected from our members and it is simply not sustainable,' she said. Due to these stresses, 61.5% had 'considered leaving their work area in the past month'. In this group, 80.9% said staffing numbers and skills were 'inappropriate' for demand in their areas. Some 64.7% now work between one and 10 hours unpaid every month. Read More Call for obstetric violence problem in Irish hospitals to be acknowledged
Irish Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Almost quarter of nurses, midwives saw doctor over work stress, INMO survey finds
Almost a quarter of nurses and midwives have attended a doctor for work-related stress, a new survey has found. On Wednesday, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) published the results of its annual members' survey to mark the beginning of its 106th annual conference in Wexford. According to the survey, which had 2,334 respondents, staffing was a major concern for members in terms of both staff and patient safety. Just over 24 per cent of nurses and midwives said they had attended their GP for work-related stress. This is higher than the percentage reported in last year's survey, when one fifth said they attended their GP. READ MORE Almost 40 per cent of respondents said their work negatively impacted their psychological wellbeing 'a great deal' or 'a lot'. A total of 72 per cent of the survey's respondents said their current staffing levels and skill mix did not meet the required clinical and patient demands in their work area. Among those citing inadequate staffing, more than 90 per cent expressed concern about compromised patient safety, and almost half (48.76 per cent) of respondents reported they felt pressured to work additional hours or shifts to make up the staffing shortfall. Some 61.51 per cent of respondents also said they had considered leaving their work area in the past month, with workplace stress cited as the primary reason Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the INMO, said the survey shows staffing levels are 'having a detrimental effect' on patient care and staff's safety. 'This level of stress, exhaustion and physical strain over many years has a very serious effect on our members and should not be tolerated,' she said. 'To have one in five workers attending their GP for work-related stress would be a scandal in many workplaces and industries, but this is the level of sacrifice that is expected from our members and it is simply not sustainable. Ms Ní Sheaghdha said it is 'absolutely critical' improvements come into effect in the coming months, and called for legislation underpinning safe staffing levels. 'This needs to happen not simply to protect these healthcare workers and their patients but to protect the future of the health service,' she added. Caroline Gourley, president of the INMO, said nurses and midwives are 'stretched to breaking point'. 'It is not realistic or fair to expect people to keep going in to work in these conditions, putting their physical and mental health at risk for their work,' she said. 'The dedication and commitment of nurses and midwives should not be the glue holding the health service together. Our members' goodwill is not a substitute for effective workforce planning.'
RTÉ News
30-04-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
INMO members accept proposals on staffing numbers
Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation have voted to accept proposals aimed at resolving a dispute over staffing numbers. Last month, healthcare unions called off planned industrial action after agreement was reached with HSE management at the Workplace Relations Commission. Under the deal, maternity leave cover in the health service will be prioritised, there will be greater consultation with unions on future staffing decisions and an increase in the conversion of agency posts to HSE jobs. Employment ceilings set under the HSE's Pay and Numbers Strategy would remain in place, but the agreement will prioritise promotion opportunities for existing staff within the health service "Following an in-person ballot in workplaces across the country, INMO members have accepted proposals regarding the non-filling and delayed filling of vacant and suppressed posts in the public health service," said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha. "These proposals should pave the way for accelerating the filling of vacancies, stronger engagement between unions and the HSE, timely replacement of maternity leave, regularisation of agency posts and permanent posts for graduates," Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.
