Pressure mounts on hospital staff as 28 patients left waiting on trolleys

DOZENS of patients were left waiting on trolleys with more being treated in a makeshift fashion in the waiting room of University Hospital Galway yesterday.

The medical staff in the A&E department are used to dealing with crises, but according to the Irish Nurses Organisation, the normally chaotic working conditions have gone beyond endurance.

"As of today, there are 28 patients on trolleys in the A&E Department. Those who are not in need of trolleys are being cared for in the waiting room with one trolley on standby.

"There are inadequate numbers of staff to look after these patients and our members are under severe pressure," said the organisation's industrial relations officer Noreen Muldoon.

The Western Health Board conceded that matters were not as they should be and said the A&E Department at the hospital had been unusually busy with 64 admissions in the last 24 hours.

"This morning we had 28 patients awaiting admission at our A&E Department," said director of communications with the Western Health Board Miriam Stack.

"We have identified beds in appropriate wards for these patients who will be transferred We have fast- tracked our diagnostic services (x-ray and labs) to help free up beds and deal with emergencies," she said.

However, according to Ms Muldoon, the response of the WHB is not good enough.

"That's all very well and it would be great if that happened every day. But the problem is that the situation has been going from bad to worse over the last three weeks.

"This is an example of crisis management." An emergency meeting between the INO and staff management, including hospital CEO Dr Sheelah Ryan, has been agreed.

However, according to the nurses' organisation, it cannot be held until next Tuesday for logistical reasons.