Beaumont A&E staff ‘unable to cope’

A nurse has spoken out about breaking down in the middle of an overcrowded hospital emergency department and locking herself in a nearby bathroom because she could not cope with chronic under-staffing levels that are continuing to hamper the system.

The woman, who was not named, said the situation occurred in recent weeks at Beaumont Hospital, which last week was at the centre of allegations that it could not even find a chair to allow a patient to sit in the hectic unit.

Speaking to online publication www.theliberal.ie, the nurse said she has been working in the Irish health service for 16 years. However, after witnessing another shift where a small number of staff had to care for “60 to 70 people” at any one time, she said was unable to cope.