Consultants warn of hospital A&E crisis safety threat

THE nationwide accident and emergency hospital crisis poses a serious risk to the safety of patients, the body representing hospital consultants has stressed.

The Irish Hospital Consultants’ Association (IHCA) yesterday called on the Health & Safety Authority immediately to address the worsening crisis in accordance with legislation contained in the Safety, Health & Welfare Act, 1987.

In a statement, the IHCA called on the authority to inspect all A&E departments that report overcrowding with patients awaiting admission to hospital being accommodated on trolleys.