Staffing crisis deepens at Mullingar hospital

The staffing crisis at the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar has left some shifts uncovered and the hospital “entirely reliant” on agency staff, an emergency meeting of the INMO last night (Wednesday) heard.

INMO nursing and midwifery members at the meeting said the situation is now “chronic” with an average of 100 shifts being covered on an ad-hoc agency/overtime basis per week.

The emergency meeting was attended by the INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha; Director of Industrial Relations, Tony Fitzpatrick and INMO Industrial Relations Officer for the area Dean Flanagan, who heard concerns in relation to the current working conditions and the ability of staff to provide safe care across the campus.

According to the INMO, its members have highlighted these issues over the past number of years resulting in WRC agreements regarding staffing.

However, the organisation said today, Thursday, the situation has deteriorated and now requires immediate senior HSE decisions to be made.

“Unsafe situations for staff and patients are a real concern for the nursing and midwifery staff at the hospital.”

The INMO has today set out the staff concerns to hospital management and to the HSE at hospital group and national level.

“Retention and recruitment of nursing and midwifery staff to this midlands hospital remains a real problem,” the statement said.

In April, the hospital erected a large hoarding on the building seeking staff.