'Deplorable situation at Beaumont ED'

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) has slammed "deplorable" conditions in Beaumont Hospital's emergency department this morning.

The INO said up to five ambulances were delayed and both patients and staff faced deplorable conditions in the ED.

It added that over 50 patients were awaiting admission, and due to a lack of space and trolleys, five ambulances were delayed, in some instances for hours.

The INO says the situation at Beaumont's ED is caused exclusively by the number of long-stay patients awaiting discharge from acute beds at the hospital.

It points out that 28% of the hospital's bed capacity, up to 180 beds are unavailable to acute patients as the HSE continually fails to provide the stream of long-stay beds necessary to move patients to more appropriate accommodation.

[Posted: Thu 12/11/2009]