Beds need to be closed at Mullingar hospital in the short term in order to make conditions safe for patients and staff.
That's according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation who say that patient care is being compromised at the hospital right now.
Nurses in Mullingar are staging a protest this lunchtime to highlight the fact that the hospital is facing 50 unfilled shifts over the next fortnight due to a lack of staff.
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The INMO says they've engaged with the HSE to try and find a resolution to the safety issue but aren't satisfied with the response.
Local Sinn Fein TD Sorcha Clarke says chronic understaffing isn't a new development at Mullingar and both patients and staff deserve much better.
