MUH’s Emergency Department to gain 18 additional staff amid warnings of dangerous understaffing
Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department will see an increase of 15 whole-time equivalent nursing staff and 3.5 healthcare assistants.
Six offers have already been issued to nurses, and two for the position of Healthcare Assistants.
After weeks of reports of dangerous understaffing, including just five nurses managing an Emergency Department with more than 160 patients, along with warnings of increased patient safety risks and strike threats from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the staff increase is welcomed news.
Mayo TD, Deputy Paul Lawless, raised the issue of the hospital's problems in the Dáil last month. He urged the Minister for Health to implement a Safe Staffing Framework at MUH.
Deputy Lawless highlighted reports of a man waiting 13 hours in the back of an ambulance to be admitted, along with accounts of nurses working unsafe hours, missing breaks, and reaching the point of exhaustion while concerned for patient safety.
Following a visit to MUH, Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill stated that the hospital was not understaffed but that it was unbalanced, noting a 30pc staff increase over the past five years.
She highlighted insufficient weekend discharge practices and an overwhelmed ED, while the rest of the hospital was "completely empty."
The Minister stated that the hospital is not understaffed overall, but that shortages in the ED pointed to unbalanced allocation across departments, indicating a management issue.
Deputy Lawless criticised the Minister, saying her comments show a disconnect from the reality in MUH.
He argued that citing discharge figures alone overlooks the complexity of the situation, noting Mayo's older patient population, shortages in step-down facilities, and unfulfilled home care hours due to staffing deficits.
After mounting pressure over the situation at MUH, including the threat of industrial action by the INMO, Step One of Stage Two of the Safe Staffing Framework for MUH has been approved by the Department of Health.
Hospital manager Catherine Donohoe confirmed the news, adding that a panel is being run for supplementary nursing staff.
She said the hospital expects the remaining positions to be filled, and is optimistic of having all 15 staff in post by year-end, subject to staff availability following interviews and appointments.
Ms Donohoe added that Step Two of the ED Safer Staffing Framework is expected to be funded as part of the 2026 health service budget, as the posts are new development positions.
Additionally, Stage One of the Safer Staffing Framework has been fully implemented at the hospital for both the inpatient Medical and Surgical wards.
Deputy Lawless said the news was a welcome step forward but stressed it was only the starting point, not the finishing line, in improving services at MUH.
A further 8.5 whole-time equivalent posts have been approved, with funding expected to be included in the 2026 health service budget.
Deputy Lawless welcomed the news, which he described as a "long overdue move", but wanted to make it clear that while this is a step in the right direction, it is only the first step in improving the services at MUH.
"This is not the finish line—it's the starter pistol. A positive first step, yes, but one taken after far too many laps around the bureaucratic track," he said.
"We welcome this implementation, but we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. This is a first step, and we must keep the pressure on until the full Safe Staffing Framework is rolled out across all departments."
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.