Dublin: The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has strongly criticised the Department of Health for shifting blame onto nurses amidst a worsening staffing shortage in hospitals, calling the approach unacceptable. This statement follows the release of a report by Justice Frank Clarke, which investigated the tragic death of 16-year-old Aoife Johnston at University Hospital Limerick. The inquiry revealed that, at the time of her death in December 2022, there were only three nurses available to care for 85 patients in the hospital’s overcrowded emergency department. Johnston had waited more than 13 hours for treatment before her death.
Globally accepted safe staffing ratios recommend one nurse for every six patients in normal conditions and one nurse for every four patients in critical care. However, the Clarke report exposed that Irish hospitals consistently fail to meet these standards, with most operating far below the recommended ratios.
Recruitment Crisis and Staffing Failures
Justice Clarke’s report underscores the severe staffing deficiencies in Ireland’s healthcare system, noting that the government imposed a recruitment ban in October 2023, further exacerbating the crisis. The moratorium prevents hospitals from hiring replacement staff, and despite the Department of Health’s recent announcement that the ban has been lifted with plans to recruit 3,000 nurses from abroad, the damage caused by earlier staffing cuts persists.
Since 2007, staffing numbers in nursing and midwifery were significantly reduced, and although the number of nurses in the public sector has increased since 2021, the rapid population growth following the COVID-19 pandemic has overwhelmed the health system. The INMO’s latest figures on hospital overcrowding, particularly in emergency departments, reflect the gravity of the situation.
Call for Legislative Action
The INMO stressed that apologies and expressions of regret are insufficient and that immediate and practical measures must be taken to address the staffing crisis. The union urged the government to prioritise passing the ‘Patient Safety (Licensing) Bill’, which would introduce a licensing system for acute hospitals and grant the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) enforcement powers to regulate healthcare services. Currently, HIQA lacks the authority to enforce mandatory standards in acute hospitals, limiting its ability to intervene beyond offering advice.
Despite multiple assessments by HIQA of emergency department services in hospitals such as University Hospital Limerick, Tallaght University Hospital, and Portlaoise, none of the recommended actions have been implemented. The INMO has continuously pressed the Health Service Executive (HSE), health ministers, and HIQA to address these failures, yet no significant progress has been made.
Staffing Standards and Ongoing Challenges
The report emphasises the urgent need for a standardised staffing pattern across all healthcare facilities, stating that approved staffing levels in Irish hospitals remain unattainable. The INMO has repeatedly called for emergency departments and wards to display staffing information so that patients and their families are aware of shortages, a request that has been consistently ignored.
The INMO has sent numerous letters to the HSE, health ministers, and HIQA, detailing the dire state of staffing in Irish hospitals and the risks posed to patient safety. Despite numerous meetings and public protests, meaningful solutions have not been forthcoming.
The report concludes that the staffing crisis, which has plagued hospitals long before December 2022, remains a life-threatening issue for patients in acute care facilities such as University Hospital Limerick and Tallaght University Hospital. Addressing this crisis must be a top priority for healthcare authorities to ensure patient safety and improve overall hospital conditions.
Irish Samachar English News
{OR} Kindly click to follow the Irish Samachar News channel on WhatsApp