There were over 200 staff vacancies across Sligo University hospital at the beginning of September.
Figures released to the latest meeting of the Health Forum West reveal 226 posts were to be filled at the north-west hospital, including close to 100 nursing roles.
Earlier this month local politicians and health campaigners raised their concerns over serious staffing issues at Sligo University Hospital. It was claimed that staff in all departments, but especially nurses in A+E were under severe pressure due to a lack of cover.
New figures published by the HSE at its Health Forum West meeting this week, reveal that there was a total of 98 vacancies in nursing roles at the hospital as of the end of August - with almost fifty positions to be filled in health and social care professions alone.
Overall, as of September 6th, 226 vacancies were reported in the hospital, including 98 nursing vacancies - with 155 roles set to be filled in the coming months - and of those, 83 will be nursing new hires
The HSE confirmed that a significant overseas nursing recruitment campaign is being actively progressed nationally with hopes more staff would be available in the next one to three months.
Localised recruitment was also underway.
Senior HSE official Anne Cosgrove admitted that the demand was currently greater than supply and that the recruitment process normally takes 2-3 months but Sligo Hospital was now in a good position with 83 staff coming om stream in the coming months.
