INMO Warns Staffing Situation at Cork University Hospital and Maternity Hospital Is "Highly Dangerous"
INMO warns of 'highly dangerous' staffing situation at CUH and CUMH, with over 80 vacant posts in CUMH and 100 in CUH heading into winter.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has stated that the situation in Cork University Hospital (CUH) and Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) is highly dangerous, noting significant frontline nursing and midwifery vacancies in the hospitals that are not being filled.
The statement follows news on 19 August 2026 that the CEO of CUH has brought serious concerns to the HSE about shortfalls in staffing, safety issues and the hospital's ability to cope with pressure in the coming winter.
Liam Conway, INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, said:
"The archaic and bureaucratic approval process surrounding recruitment to already funded posts is damaging front line services and staff morale, and impacting on patient care.
This issue represents a long-standing own-goal on the part of the HSE, which does not appear to be serious about filling critical vacancies on medical and surgical wards or midwifery vacancies in the maternity hospital.
Local management have been stripped of the authority to do what is necessary in terms of recruiting to replace existing vacancies and have the staff required to meet service needs.
Our members are extremely concerned about staff retention heading into the winter period. There are currently over 80 vacant posts in CUMH and 100 in CUH. Any further staff losses will lead to additional shortages on all shifts, leaving them even further below the required safe staffing levels in both CUH and CUMH.
Patient care is being sacrificed to the cost-cutting measures and reduction of staffing numbers set in 2023 by the HSE. The potential is for this to result not just in a daily reduction in safety and worsening outcomes for patients, but serious and catastrophic incidents for staff and patients.
The solution is to remove the regional and national bureaucratic processes set by the HSE, and let local management get on with the business of safely staffing frontline services to meet demands in 2026. Our members need to have the autonomy to make the decisions to staff frontline services in CUH and CUMH, and decisions should not be made by HSE senior management 260 km away from the front line. INMO members will now be consulted on the escalation of matters should the HSE fail to address the above concerns."
