Doctors struggle to find beds for patients

DOCTORS and nurses in accident and emergency departments were yesterday forced to juggle with patients in a bid to find more beds.

Some hospitals have cancelled non-urgent procedures from today. Others have been forced to re-open wards.

At Cork University Hospital, 18 patients were on trollies and chairs yesterday evening and a further 10 were waiting to be seen by a

doctor.

In Kerry, four patients in Tralee were without a bed after being seen in the accident and emergency

department.

St James’ and St Vincent’s in Dublin were exceptionally busy. Elective surgery at both hospitals has been suspended in a bid to ensure there are beds for the emergency cases which require them.

Last night, approximately 20 patients were awaiting admission to beds at St James’. The figure was not quite so high at St Vincent’s.

In Tallaght last night, 31 patients were waiting to get a bed in the accident and emergency department and 12 still hadn’t been seen by a doctor.

The East Coast Area Health Board oversees work at St Colmcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown. No precise figures were available yesterday afternoon but a hospital spokesperson said that while it was busy, they were coping.

The Western Health Board yesterday appealed to the public to avoid going to their accident and emergency department unless absolutely necessary. The accident and emergency department at the Merlin Park Regional Hospital was busy again yesterday.

A health board spokesperson said: “Accident and emergency is very busy again today and we would appeal to people not to come in, unless absolutely necessary. They should go to their GP first, if the are not sure. Over the weekend, we had to use our five-day ward, the accident and emergency area was so busy. Last night, two people overnighted in accident and emergency and on Sunday, there was a spillover of 12 there.”

A spokesperson for the Mid Western Regional Hospital said there were no problems at the unit yesterday. Nobody was either waiting for a bed or waiting to be seen there, she added.

In Naas Hospital, 11 patients were awaiting admission from the accident and emergency department yesterday evening. New beds were opened elsewhere in the hospital to cater for accident and emergency cases.

There was no shortage of beds and no undue delays at St Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny.

Non-urgent surgery has been cancelled at Waterford Regional Hospital today to allow for any A&E overflow. The hospital was exceptionally busy yesterday and all beds were full.

Waterford Regional Hospital general manager Theo Neijenhuizen says the decision to cancel non-

urgent surgery was made following consultation with senior clinical staff and managers. He said the decision was not taken lightly.