Overcrowding in Cork hospitals 'out of control,' warns INMO

Muireann Duffy

Cork City is experiencing hospital overcrowding which is "out of control", according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

The union has called for a bespoke plan to tackle the issue in the city, where both Cork University Hospital and Mercy University Hospital are experiencing record overcrowding.

On Tuesday morning, there were 92 people waiting on trolleys in Cork University Hospital, the highest figure in the State. Meanwhile, conditions at Mercy Hospital were described as "intolerable for nurses", with 40 patients waiting for a bed.

Nationally, the INMO found there were 613 patients on trolleys.

"Overcrowding in both major hospitals in Cork has become out of hand, with records being broken in both Cork University Hospital and the Mercy today," INMO assistant director of industrial relations for the southern region Colm Porter said.

"It is clear now that this warrants a national response from the Health Service Executive. The situation in Cork University Hospital is continuing to deteriorate week on week.

"Our members are under significant pressure across all wards. The bed deficit that currently exists in CUH is impacting the ability of our members to carry out the safe care they have been trained to provide to patients."

Mr Porter added that immediate engagement is needed to ensure patients can be discharged into the community without delay and that all available private capacity it utilised.