Staffing problems, ward closures, increasing demands from the public and the impact of the "Celtic Tiger" on the psychological welfare of the vulnerable are among the concerns highlighted in the Mater Hospital's 1998 annual report.
The Dublin hospital's report also notes an increasing prevalence of TB and violent incidents at work. Numerous departments outline concerns on funding.
The ICU [intensive care unit] reports a "very real decrease in suitably qualified nursing staff in 1998". This "led to a reduction in the number of beds available", and so a "decrease in the number of elective admissions to the unit".
The accident and emergency department says it "has now become a 10-bedded hospital ward, which is asked in addition to carry out its usual emergency services. Repeated requests to the hospital to solve this problem have not been successful," it adds.
The greatest challenge facing the nursing department, says the report, is "the shortage and retention of registered nurses within the service, with particular difficulty experienced in the recruitment of staff with appropriate skill to work in specialised areas".
In 1998 the hospital had a net cash flow of £71,362 as compared with £61,504 in 1997.
