Page 5 - World of Irish Nursing April 2018

8 NEWS

March 4: INMO calls for declaration of

emergency period in health service

The INMO called for the first periods. Rosters would need recovering from the adverse medical and ambulance staff,
two weeks of March to be to be re-arranged to accom- weather event, ensuring pri- and the examples of co-opera-
declared, and treated, as an modate this, which in turn, oritisation of emergency care. tive working between the civil
emergency period in the Irish would reduce available staff This will require all non-urgent defence, army and Gardaí in
public health service. for services in the short term and routine cases to be can- ensuring staff got to work and
The Organisation was • INMO records show the trol- celled during this period. were able to deliver health care
extremely concerned about the ley count for February 2018 While welcoming the hSe in very difficult circumstances,
pressures that were brought was 19% higher than the statement that cancella- is a true example of selfless-
to bear on the service follow- same time last year, with tions would be in place for ness and pride in the job they
ing the emergency weather 10,772 patients waiting on all routine elective cases on do every day.
conditions. trolleys for an inpatient bed, March 5, she said this must “This is to be commended
This concern arose from indicating that hospitals were be extended. “In this crisis all and the INMO now requires
three main points: already overburdened before measures to properly resource the employer to ensure prac-
• The extended period of severe the adverse weather event and staff the health service tical appropriate plans are in
weather would create a delay began. must be explored and the place to cope with the after-
to discharges and a backlog of On March 4, 2018 INMO assistance of services in the math of this crisis.”
patients scheduled for admis- general secretary Phil Ní private acute hospitals must The INMO is in discussions
sion for elective procedures Sheaghdha called for the fol- also be sought.” with the hSe on the planning
• INMO members, and many lowing two weeks to be given Ms Ní Sheaghdha contin- in place for this adverse event
other front-line staff, worked emergency status. “This means ued: “The dedication to duty and is calling for agreed proto-
tirelessly and for extended extraordinary measures should of all healthcare staff, our cols for events of this nature
periods, and would need rest be put in place to focus on nurse and midwifery members, that may occur in the future.

March 9: Record breaking 3,112 on trolleys in a

week as INMO repeats call for emergency period

The INMO recorded over 600 for a two week period in March as predicted by the INMO, service provider would have
patients on trolleys, in hospi- to be declared, and treated, due to pressures on hospitals sought by any means avail-
tals around the country, every as an emergency period in following Storm emma. The able to minimise these risks
day in the week March 5-9. At the Irish public health service, INMO requested an emer- to patient and staff safety. It
that point there had been 14 meaning that extraordinary gency two-week period which is not possible for the hospi-
days so far this year that saw measures should have been put the hSe was not willing to tals, or staff, to continue to
in excess of 600 patients on in place to focus on recovering implement. provide safe care under these
trolleys, as compared to 2017, from the extreme weather “This massive surge in conditions. The INMO is call-
when this occurred on only event. attendance at eDs was pre- ing for emergency status to
three occasions in the entire INMO general secretary Phil dictable and known to the be immediately declared and
year. Ní Sheaghdha said: “We saw hSe. Any reasonable and emergency response plans put
The INMO renewed its call record trolley figures this week, responsible employer and into operation.”

INMO heroes during red weather alert

WIN Vol 26 No 3 April 2018 Team from Saoirse unit, Clonakilty Hospital Members of the medical team in Tallaght Hospital with some of the ED nurse, Celine O’Rourke, making her way

local heroes that volunteered to ferry them to nearby hotels and
to Mullingar Hospital
homes before and after their shifts