Closure of part of Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department due to staff shortages

Independent Councillor Harry Barrett has today raised concerns about current staff shortages at Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department.

The Castlebar Councillor said:

“This morning, I was contacted by a concerned constituent who is after learning that a section of Mayo University Hospital’s Emergency Department, called the Ambulatory Emergency Department, which takes in the less serious cases, has been closed because there aren’t enough nurses available to staff it.

“Hospital management are telling staff they hope to reopen the unit later today, but the fact remains, if parts of the Emergency Department are being shut down due to staff shortages, then we have a serious problem on our hands.

“This situation completely contradicts what the Minister for Health has been claiming—that Mayo University Hospital is not short of staff. The reality on the ground tells a very different story. The staff who are there are doing their best under huge pressure, but they simply can’t do it all.

Councillor Barrett added that people in Mayo deserve better.

“People in Mayo deserve a hospital that’s properly staffed and able to care for patients safely. Instead, we’re seeing services cut back, staff burned out, and patients left waiting. That’s not good enough.

“This morning’s closure is yet another warning sign that the system is creaking. It’s time for the Minister and the HSE to step in and sort this out, before something more serious happens. We need a plan to recruit, support, and keep staff in Mayo University Hospital — not more empty promises.

“Our hospital staff give everything they have. The least they deserve is to have enough colleagues beside them to do the job safely. The people of Mayo shouldn’t have to worry about whether their hospital can stay open from one day to the next” said Councillor Barrett.