The Health and Safety Authority (HSA) was requested last night to immediately investigate the risks to patients and staff of chronic overcrowding at the A&E department of a Dublin hospital.
The appeal came from the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO), which said that at one stage yesterday 35 patients were on trolleys and chairs in an A&E department of James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown when it can only cater for 16 patients.
INO industrial relations officer Ms Mary Fogarty claimed fire exists were blocked, and it became impossible for staff to manoeuvre and work to treat patients.
"All visitors were asked to leave because there was no room for them, and the hospital had to go off-call several times during the day."
She added that trolleys from seven ambulances had to be used due to a shortage of trolleys in the A&E unit. This left the ambulances backed up outside the hospital for a considerable period, and prevented them from being available for other calls.
Calling for an immediate investigation by the HSA, she said the situation throughout the day was hazardous for both staff and patients.
She felt patient care and their health and safety had been compromised.
Some 34 beds have been closed at the hospital due to funding difficulties, and the INO called for them to be immediately reopened to ease the situation.
A spokesman for the Northern Area Health Board, which runs the hospital, acknowledged last night that the hospital was extremely busy, but said the board was satisfied a safe level of service was being provided.
He confirmed there were 14 people in A&E awaiting beds, a further 38 were being medically assessed in A&E, and 14 patients had been admitted to the day ward. He confirmed that the hospital had gone off-call twice yesterday.
He said measures were under way to ease the pressure on the unit. The board hoped to free-up 30 beds by discharging patients no longer needing acute hospital beds to care settings in the community.
Earlier this year the HSA served an improvement notice on Tallaght Hospital after it found fire exits blocked.