Plea issued after 'night of chaos' at Mayo University Hospital

There were up to to eight ambulances sitting outside Mayo University Hospital between up 1 and 2 a.m. last night from every area of the county - with some patients sitting in ambulances for up to five hours.

That's according to local election candidate, Harry Barrett, who described the situation as 'a night of chaos'.

Barrett was contacted this morning by a concerned member of staff who alleged that patients waiting in the emergency department would have been there for at least 10 hours.

He said that the impact on staff is totally unacceptable with one nurse who started at 8 p.m. that evening not getting her first break till 6 a.m. in the morning.

He continued: "I am calling for an emergency meeting of management in Mayo University Hospital to address this crazy system.

"At one point last night, eight ambulances from across the region were left sitting outside the hospital, which is a very dangerous situation if a major accident were to occur and ambulances were needed elsewhere.

"The needless suffering of patients and crazy pressure on staff has to end and is a direct result of poor planning and the five-day-week nature of our health system here in County Mayo.

"A system where everything shuts down at 5 p.m. on a Friday, and people are then sent to hospital as a last resort because waiting times fir a doctor around the county are too long. This is crazy.

"The solution is very simple. But HSE bosses seem unable to plan for it.

"People have to be given treatment in their own local areas, especially after hours and at the weekends.

"Carrying on like this is going to cost lives, especially when ambulances are backed up outside a hospital.

"People must stand up and demand a safer system than this chaos and I am asking people to contact their local TD demanding that the HSE put in place medical cover in every area of the county, especially at the weekends and out of hours," he added.

The hospital is expected to issue a statement later.