The national health service is under unprecedented strain that was being felt not only by patients and their relatives but also by nurses and other members of the healthcare team, the nurses' union (MUMN) said today.
In a letter to the Health Department’s permanent secretary, the MUMN said that Mater Dei Hospital was under so much pressure in the past few days that it was forced to open extra ‘contingency’ or ‘escalation’ wards.
This resulted in patients being cared for in corridors and recovery rooms being set up in theatres.
This crisis was also leading to the A&E Department getting ‘jammed with too many patients while the Day Care Unit was encountering a precarious situation.
“Today we even have a dangerous situation where there are wards with only one nurse to take care of 24 patients.”
The MUMN said it was concerned by this situation as nurses and midwives, including those holding managerial/leadership posts, were facing unrelenting pressures and being placed in unacceptable situations.
“Nurses and midwives working at Mater Dei Hospital are working day in day out with dangerously substandard staffing levels in most wards and a shortage of supporting staff in areas where patients are being cared for. These conditions are not favourable to ensure patient safety.”
The union appealed to the permanent secretary to intervene so that possible alternatives would be found to free up beds and places for patients who no longer needed tertiary hospital care.
It also appealed to al e involved to properly fund both the National Health Services and social care to deal with the rapidly rising levels of demand as the population lived longer and with increasing numbers of older patients with complex multiple conditions.
“We would like to inform you that our members have a limit to how much they can endure in these situations. MUMN has the responsibility to safeguard the interests of its members and their families. If this situation persists any longer MUMN would not have other alternatives but to inform you of those measures that would be decided to address such situations,” the union warned.