Extra bed capacity needs to be allocated in order to actively deal with the overcrowding crisis at Cork University Hospital ahead of the winter months.
That's according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation who have described the situation at the hospital as completely unworkable and unacceptable.
88 patients are waiting on trolleys at the hospital yesterday and the union say it's a new overcrowding record for CUH.
The INMO says a task force needs to be established now so the situation can be brought under control otherwise the numbers will continue to climb and this will cause massive retention issues for staff.
Speaking to RedFM News Liam Conway of the INMO says extra beds need to be made available as patients and staff deserve better.
"Look at the private sector, both in terms of private nursing homes, private care providers and the private hospitals.
"There also needs to be approval for plans that have already been submitted for additional bed capacity at CUH but have not been funded by the Government.
"At the end of the day this is the people of Cork who go in and demand a service, and are entitled to that service, but are not getting that service in a timely manner.
"That's putting massive pressure on the entry point, which is the emergency department, and then the pressure on the system is falling back on the staff that are trying to provide that system, because they're trying to do their best in extremely challenging conditions."
