Harney under fire over A&E bedlam
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said the Tánaiste’s 10-point plan to tackle A&E overcrowding, revealed six months ago, was a failure.
The organisation also accused the Government of repeatedly failing to listen to pleas for more beds.
More than 400 A&E nurses, general nurses, trade unionists, politicians and members of the public marched outside A&E units in Dublin, Cork and Roscommon at lunchtime yesterday.
The INO said 325 patients were on trolleys yesterday with a record 63 at Tallaght Hospital, 37 at Beaumont, 34 at Wexford General Hospital and 22 at Cork University Hospital.
“At the Mater there are lines of patients on chairs, and trolleys are touching off each other it’s so jam-packed. It’s very hard for medical teams to squeeze in between trolleys to examine people, never mind comply with health and safety regulations,” said INO Industrial Relations Officer Tony Fitzpatrick.
“At one stage we had wanted the ambulances to go off-call as the hospital couldn’t take any more patients, but Beaumont or James Connolly Memorial couldn’t cope with the overflow as they too were up to their necks.
“It was absolute bedlam and the Tánaiste has to take the blame as she has been the second most powerful politician in this country for eight years,” he said.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern yesterday agreed that A&E facilities were “not up to scratch”.
Facing criticism from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny in the Dáil, he said he “accepted the frustration of nursing staff” in hospitals.
The INO has demanded a clear timeframe for the implementation of Ms Harney’s 10-point plan to tackle the A&E and beds crisis.
“Promises are being made and we’re not seeing any results. We’re only a 93-bed unit yet we have around 15 people on trolleys each night,” said Industrial Relations Officer in the West Noreen Muldoon.
Southern Industrial Relations Officer Michael Dineen said a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) was desperately needed in Cork as their facilities were “desperately inadequate”.
Cork-based A&E nurses Carol Murphy and Michelle Howard said the only solution was more beds, as admissions were constantly increasing.
“It’s a very sad situation when an old person is stuck for sometimes up to three days on a trolley that is about the width of my arm and which is desperately uncomfortable,” said Ms Murphy.
“We could spend much of our day just sitting down with them trying to explain why they have to put up with such facilities. Nobody should have to stand for it.”
A Health Service Executive spokeswoman yesterday said that Ms Harney’s plan of action was underway.
“Medical assessment units are planned for Dublin hospitals and up to 68 patients inappropriately cared for in acute hospitals are being discharged,” she said.
“Another 200 acute beds are also due to come on stream later this year,” the spokeswoman added.
There will be further demonstrations tomorrow at Dublin’s Tallaght Hospital, Cavan General Hospital and at Mayo General Hospital.
