Visitors to one of Dublin’s busiest hospitals have been warned to only visit when absolutely necessary.
The Mater Hospital is currently dealing with high levels of patients suffering from the flu and has asked friends and family to steer clear if possible.
A spokeswoman said: “The Mater Hospital is currently experiencing high levels of patients admitted with Influenza and advises that members of public visit only when absolutely necessary.
“Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to visit the hospital.
“We thank the public for their cooperation.”
And a staggering 620 patients were waiting for beds across the country today, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
Of these, 433 were waiting in the emergency department, while 187 were in wards elsewhere in the hospital.
Cork University Hospital was the worst hit with 73 patients waiting, an all-time record for the busy hospital.
University Hospital Limerick was close behind with 57 while University Hospital Galway and Mayo University Hospital both had 35 patients waiting.
Liam Conway, INMO Industrial Relations Officer for CUH, said: “This is a crisis situation.
“Our members on the frontline are describing the situation as ‘horrendous’ for both staff and patients.
“This means cancelling electives, stopping non-emergency admissions, and sourcing extra bed capacity from the private and public sector services. This de-escalation should continue next week, until the hospital is stabilised.
“There have been over 50 nursing vacancies in CUH for several months, due to the HSE’s cost-cutting ‘go-slow’ recruitment policy.
“After much lobbying, we got the HSE to approve recruitment for the posts on December 20th - far too late to make a difference this winter.”
“The bulk of patients without beds are over 75, often at one of the most vulnerable points in their lives.
“We are calling for the hospital to fully implement de-escalation policies.
Mallow General Hospital in Cork also has visitor restrictions in place since Thursday due to an outbreak of flu.
A spokesman for Mallow General said: “The public can be assured that the hospital’s Infection Control Team are very active in monitoring the situation and all patients are being managed appropriately.
“In the interest of patient safety, the hospital is asking the public (adults and children) if they are experiencing any signs or symptoms of influenza please contact their local health provider (GP/Southdoc) in the first instance.”
