TALLAGHT Hospital has increased staff in an effort to tackle ongoing concerns regarding overcrowding.
On Friday, members of the hospital’s Executive Management Team and nursing unions met to discuss the issue.
Management then issued a statement that 10 new nursing staff would be starting in the hospital on Monday to boost the 37 additional nursing posts added since August last.
“Tallaght Hospital continues to implement an operational plan to deal with seasonal pressures on the Emergency Department (ED),
? the statement reads.
“The measures taken in the operational plan are working and currently there are five patients on trolleys in the Emergency Department and none on the wards.
“This number is expected to fall in the coming hours.
?
The hospital added:
“As part of the ongoing management of this situation, Tallaght Hospital has rescheduled nine non-urgent elective procedures and six non-urgent surgical day cases out of 21 scheduled patients for today (Friday).
” These non-urgent procedures are being rescheduled for the coming weeks on a medical need basis and the patients involved have been notified.
?
The hospital revealed that CEO, David Slevin, and other members of the executive met with staff in the Emergency Department on Thursday night and that there will be further meetings with all nursing staff over the coming days.
“A scheduled meeting between two members of the Hospital’s Executive Management Team and the nursing unions also took place this morning (Friday) to update them on the implementation of the operational plan,
? the statement added.
“The hospital provided updates to staff and unions on the imminent recruitment of new nursing staff to increase the staffing numbers in key areas of the hospital, including the Emergency Department.
“Tallaght Hospital will continue to implement the measures outlined in the operational plan to uphold patient safety standards.
?
The trade union, SIPTU, welcomed the plan to increase staff numbers to deal with overcrowding.
SIPTU organiser David Field said the union had been told at its meeting with management that over the coming weeks, 13 care assistants and 19 specialist nurses will be assigned to duties at the hospital.
“Management said they would take action to help alleviate the crisis in patient care with 10 extra nursing staff beginning work on Monday (February 10),
? he said.
“We welcome this development which will assist in alleviating the current pressures at the hospital. We believe this is a first step in bringing the crisis at the hospital to an end.
?
Earlier SIPTU representatives had called for an immediate response from management after the union expressed “grave concerns” about patient overcrowding and staffing levels.