Jimmy Woulfe, Irish Examiner, January 18, 2006

Theatre nurses at Limerick Regional Hospital, who have been accused of time-wasting by the Health Service Executive Mid-Western Area, yesterday went public on the huge demands of their work.

Four theatre nurses gave a detailed account of their roster last weekend during which they worked 25 hours, getting just over four hours rest.

One of the four, Anne Fitzgibbon, said: “This would not be untypical of a weekend roster.”

They dealt with eight patients having surgery, six of them emergency cases. ... Nurses

Ireland Online, January 14, 2006

The Irish Nurses Organisation has said that overcrowding in A & E departments is sparking attacks against staff.

While the problem was once just confined to weekends, it is now happening regularly during the week, the INO claims. ... Rise

RTE News, January 10, 2006

The Irish Nurses Organisation has launched a national postcard campaign in Accident and Emergency departments around the country.

The organisation says the campaign will enable patients to express their dissatisfaction to the Government at the level of overcrowding in A&E departments.

The postcards will be circulated by A&E nursing staff and the cost of postage will be covered by the INO, which will then forward them to the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney. ... INO

RTE News, January 3, 2006

The Irish Nurses' Organisation has accused the Health Service Executive of misleading the public over the state of Accident and Emergency services.

It says claims by the HSE today that there has been a 20% reduction in the number of people in A&E departments in Dublin waiting for a bed are inaccurate. ... INO

Paul O’Brien, Irish Examiner, December 27, 2005

An average of 276 patients were confined to hospital trolleys each day in the run-up to Christmas, according to figures from the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO).

That's an average daily increase of more than 110 on the same period last year.

Fine Gael yesterday described conditions at A&E departments as "hellish" for staff and patients alike.

"We are almost inured to hearing of hundreds of patients on trolleys at this stage, but these numbers are really remarkable," said health spokesman Dr Liam Twomey. ... Nurses

Ian McGuinness, Irish Medical Times, December 16, 2005

Psychiatric clinical directors are to invite a top Health Service Executive (HSE) official to their next meeting to explain where the additional posts, to cater for Mental Health Tribunals, will be located.

The next national meeting of clinical directors is expected to take place in late January or February, when the HSE official will also be asked to explain the criteria used to decide where the new posts will go.

It is understood there are differing views among the clinical directors about what the basis should be for allocating the new, and permanently filled, positions. ... HSE

IOL Breaking News, December 5, 2005

The Government must provide immediate funding in the budget to address overcrowding in Accident and Emergency wards, it was claimed today.

The Irish Nurses’ Organisation demanded urgent initiatives to tackle what it described as a national crisis as it emerged 347 people were waiting on trolleys this morning.

INO General Secretary Liam Doran said the healthy state of the Government’s finances in the run up to the budget meant there is no excuse for not allocating emergency funding to address A&E overcrowding. ... Nurses

Limerick Post, December 5, 2005

The on-going overcrowding at the A and E Department of Limerick Regional Hospital has now reached crisis point due to a chronic shortage of nurses in the Mid West Region. This is according to Mary Fogarty, Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) Industrial Relations Officer in the Mid West, who points out that there were 22 patients on trolleys awaiting beds at the hospital this Tuesday.

There were five individuals on trolleys in Limerick this Monday, but this escalated to 22 on Tuesday. ... Nurse

Niall Hunter, Irish Health, December 2, 2005

The Irish Nurses Organisation is seeking the cancellation of all non-emergency admissions in some hospitals around the country following the worsening of A&E overcrowding in recent days.

The INO has pointed out that over the past few days the number of patients on trolleys awaiting treatment has exceeded well over 300.

It says it is making contact with the HSE calling for the cancellation of elective admissions to hospitals worst affected, such as Tallaght, St James's, Naas, Cavan, Wexford, Limerick and Cork hospitals, which have been experiencing major A&E pressure in recent days. ... Cancel

IOL Breaking News, December 2, 2005

The Irish Nurses Organisation is seeking the cancellation of all non-emergency operations today due to overcrowding in A&E departments.

The organisation said a total of 359 patients were waiting on trolleys in A&E units countrywide yesterday due to a lack of hospital beds. ... INO

Irish Health, December 1, 2005

The total number of patients on trolleys earlier today in A&E units around the country was 359, according to the Irish Nurses Organisation.

This is the highest it has been for some time, according to the INO. The trolley figure reached 337 on Tuesday of this week. ... 359

Niall Hunter, Irish Health, November 29, 2005

The recent controversy over the Leas Cross nursing home in North Dublin has led to some elderly patients in acute hospitals becoming reluctant to be discharged to nursing homes, according to Liam Doran, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation.

In an exclusive video interview with irishhealth.com on problems in the health service, he said the Leas Cross situation had become a barrier to finding a solution to the A&E crisis.

"Fairly or unfairly, the feeling now is there that the standards are not what they should be in nursing homes." ... Health

Limerick Post, November 25, 2005

The Irish Nurses Organisation has said that the insufficient health estimates, will result in the A and E overcrowding crisis continuing into 2006.

In Limerick there were 19 patients on trolleys this Tuesday and four on Monday.

And an INO spokesperson said that "the failure of the government to allocate sufficient monies, in the 2006 allocation, to address the glaring inadequacies which continue to blight the Irish Health service is ridiculous". ... Nurses

IOL Breaking News, November 24, 2005

The state employment agency FÁS has reportedly predicted widespread staff shortages in the health sector within the next 10 years unless urgent action is taken to address long-standing problems.

Reports this morning said the agency was warning that the shortages would affect a range of professions from doctors and nurses to dentists, physiotherapists and social workers. ... FÁS

IOL, November 17, 2005

The Irish Nurses Organisation has welcomed plans to set up undergraduate courses in mid-wifery and children’s nursing.

Minister for Health Mary Harney announced this morning that 240 student places would be created in a bid to address shortages in these areas.

At the moment candidates need a degree in general nursing and two years experience to enter these areas. ... INO