Consultant and nurses spark war of words

STRAINED relations between an A&E consultant and nurses at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital deteriorated yesterday.

As the number of trolley patients in A&E built up, a consultant said they should hang a sign on the hospital gate indicating there was ‘no more room’.

In an email to staff, Dr Colman O’Leary said the situation was caused by a deal between the INO and the matron that only eight A&E patients could be moved to wards at any one time to help alleviate overcrowding at the emergency department.