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Hospitals across the State under tremendous pressure today - Union.

Ospidéil ar fud an Stáit faoi bhrú as cuimse inniu - Ceardchumann.

Hospitals across the State are under immense pressure, says the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association.

Tá ospidéil ar fud an Stáit faoi bhrú as cuimse, a deir Cumann Altraí agus Ban Cabhrach na hÉireann.

The Association says they have never seen so much overcrowding at this time of year.

Deir an Cumann nach bhfaca siad an oiread seo de róphlódú ariamh ag an tráth seo 'bhliana.

The union said that all hospitals, large and small, are struggling as it becomes difficult for them to provide safe health care to patients.

Dúirt an ceardchumann go bhfuil na hospidéil uilig, idir bheag agus mhór, ag streachailt agus é ag dul dian orthu cúram sláinte sábháilte a chur ar fáil d'othair.

The Association wants private and public hospitals to function as one system in order to reduce the pressure and ensure that the situation does not get worse.

Tá an Cumann ag iarraidh go bhfeidhmeoidh ospidéil phríobháideacha agus phoiblí mar aon chóras amháin ar mhaithe leis an bhrú a laghdú agus chun a chinntiú nach rachaidh an scéal chun donais.

The Society's General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said that any emergency policy "must be implemented immediately because it will not be possible to deal with the emergency in a safe way if the conditions in the hospitals get worse."

Dúirt Ardrúnaí an Chumainn Phil Ni Sheaghdha go gcaithfear aon bheartas éigeandála "is gá a chur i bhfeidhm láithreach bonn mar nach mbeifear in ann plé leis an éigeandáil ar bhealach sábháilte má éiríonn cúrsaí sna h-ospidéil níos measa."

It is not normal for the number of patients in hospitals to be this high that 570 people would be so ill that they would need hospital care and there would not be enough beds for them, said Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

Ní gnáthach leis an líon othair in ospidéil a bheith chomh hard seo go mbeadh 570 duine chomh tinn sin go mbeadh gá acu le cúram ospidéil agus nach mbeadh dóthain leapacha ann dóibh, a dúirt Phil Ní Sheaghdha.

Early in the new year the hospitals get busy but the Association says they have never seen this much overcrowding.

Go luath san athbhliain a éiríonn na h-ospidéil gnóthach ach deir an Cumann nach bhfaca siad a oiread seo de róphlódú ariamh.

"Sick people have no choice but to go to the Emergency Departments of hospitals because they are unable to get an appointment with their family doctor," said the leader of the union.

"Níl aon rogha ag daoine tinne ach dul chuig Rannóga Éigeandála na n-ospidéal mar nach bhfuil siad ábalta coinne a fháil lena ndochtúir teaghlaigh," a dúirt ceannaire an cheardchumainn.

The Health Executive has decided to help GPs provide additional clinics to attend to patients to ease the pressure on the health system.

Tá sé socraithe ag an Fheidhmeannacht Sláinte go gcabhróidh siad le dochtúirí teaghlaigh clinicí breise a chur ar fáil le freastal ar othair chun an brú ar an chóras sláinte a mhaolú.