Staffing crisis in hospitals may scupper plan for 300 beds

The biggest stumbling block to opening 300 extra hospital beds before the end of the year to ease chronic overcrowding will be the ongoing staffing crisis, nurses have warned.

“The reality is that the health system at this time cannot staff the existing beds and services,” said Liam Doran, the general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

“Despite all of the commitments over the past number of months and years, the recent summer has been the worst on record for overcrowding in the country’s emergency departments.”