A "major internal incident" that was declared at the University Hospital Limerick earlier this month has been stood down.
The UL Hospitals Group has said "extraordinary measures" taken, have helped to reduce the "extreme levels" of overcrowding seen early last week at the hospital's Emergency Department.
Oireachtas members from the midwest took part in a virtual meeting with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health, and senior hospital management yesterday.
Following that meeting, it was announced that the new measure of paramedics bringing patients directly to the medical assessment unit at Ennis Hospital, which started this week, will continue, and could be expanded to other hospitals in the region.
Assistant Director of Industrial Relations with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Mary Fogarty has said the transfer of patients has not had any impact on the volume of patients attending UHL.
She said this will only happen whenever there is an expansion of resources in Ennis hospital and if the assessment unit is open at weekends.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, she said there is no additional capacity in hospitals to take more patients as they do not have the resources to do that.
Ms Fogarty said that while the major incident has been stood down at UHL, there still are no elective surgeries taking place.
She said staff are "very anxious and nervous" about the reintroduction of elective procedures at the hospital.
"It's been an extremely difficult situation for patients and for staff. It's been extremely unsafe. It still remains unsafe. There are still patients on trolleys at the hospital, but it has reduced radically.
"So, we have asked to meet with the HSE and with hospital management to determine how they're going to move forward because they cannot go back to the situation that prevailed in the new year or that prevails there on a constant basis."
She added: "There's got to be a plan in place whereby patients who are in the emergency department who need to be seen, need to be assessed, need to be admitted have to be."
Ms Fogarty said that the INMO is consulting with members in all of the acute hospitals where there are emergency departments on whether to take industrial action, adding, "we will be taking our lead from them."
"it's a very serious situation. I don't think that nurses can prevail any further in working in these environments. They're extremely unsafe. They're having a significant psychological impact on our members.
"It's very difficult to retain nurses and emergency departments. Senior experienced staff are leaving, and it is detrimental to their very being that they cannot care for patients in these very dangerous circumstances".
