The union said that around 2,700 patients have been without a bed in Irish hospitals since Monday.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has called for measures addressing “chronic” overcrowding in Irish hospitals to be a core part of Budget 2023.
The union issued a statement on Saturday (17 September) to mark World Patient Safety Day in which it also demanded that a winter plan to protect nurses, midwives, other healthcare workers and patients be published immediately.
In the statement, it said that over 2,698 patients – including 63 children – have been without a bed in Irish hospitals since Monday.
“This World Patient Safety Day we must take stock of the impact that chronic hospital overcrowding is having on those who are in our hospitals without a bed and our members who are often their first port of call when it comes to their treatment,” INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha stated.
“Nurses and midwives are facing into yet another winter where they are left in impossible and often dangerous care environments.
“To this end, we are calling for the Minister for Health and the HSE to publish the 2022/2023 Winter Plan in tandem with a multi-annual budget allocation for the health service as part of Budget 2023.”
Ní Sheaghdha also said the upcoming Budget must have a “laser focus” on the recruitment and retention of nurses and midwives.
“There must be an investment in maternity services to give women greater choice about childbirth and also to address the fact that maternity wards are closing due to a chronic shortage of midwives,” she added.
“There must be a change in the mindset of how we configure maternity services that allows for more midwife-led units.”
On top of this, Ní Sheaghdha said that Slántecare – as it was intended – must be a core plank of Budget 2023 and that emphasis on care in the community can only lead to better outcomes for patients.
“We know that overcrowding has significant negative health outcomes for patients. As a nation, we cannot continue to trundle from winter trolley chaos to winter trolley chaos while glossing over the very real impact this has on patients and their long-term health needs,” she explained.
“As we head into a winter of known unknowns, action must be taken now to ensure that patients and nurses are not in unsafe environments.
“We should not be having the same conversation on Patient Safety Day 2023.”
Budget 2023 will be announced on Tuesday, 27 September.
Last week, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said the Government was working on a one-off “multibillion euro” Budget package to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin would not commit to a final figure that will be dedicated to cost-of-living measures in the Budget, saying there will be Government meetings during the week on the matter.
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