More than 1,250 patients admitted to Cork hospitals without a bed last month

More than 1,250 patients were treated on a trolley, chair, or in another inappropriate bed space in Cork last month, according to the INMO.

Of these, 907 people were treated in Cork University Hospital, which was the second-most overcrowded hospital in Ireland in March, as it has been almost every month for the last year.

There were a further 263 patients treated on trolleys in Mercy University Hospital and 88 in Bantry General Hospital, a total of 1,258 in Cork hospitals.

The Cork figure marks a slight reduction from 1,334 in February of this year, when 1,014 patients were treated on trolleys in CUH, with a further 284 in the Mercy and 36 in Bantry.

Nationally, more than 9,124 patients were admitted to hospital without a bed during the month.

The INMO has long said that staffing is impacting patient care, and the numbers come as a planned work-to-rule action, set to begin last Monday, was suspended.

The INMO along with Fórsa, Connect, Unite, and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association suspended the action which was being taken over the HSE’s ‘pay and numbers’ strategy, which they said was curtailing safe staffing.

The work-to-rule and other non-co-operation action by union members in the HSE and Section 38 voluntary hospitals was suspended after 22 hours of engagement at the Workplace Relations Commission.

Cork’s Colm Porter, assistant director of industrial relations for the INMO, told The Echo over the weekend that the union’s executive council will consider the proposals, then ballot members about accepting or rejecting them.