August start for building of €10m A&E department

CONSTRUCTION work on a €10 million A&E department at Kerry General Hospital in Tralee is due to start in August, the HSE confirmed yesterday.

There are growing concerns about the ability of the hospital’s existing A&E department to cope with demands.

The Irish Nurses’ Organisation attacked staffing levels at the hospital this week after 21 patients were left on trolleys. This is believed to be highest such figure for the hospital.

Last year, an A&E consultant left the hospital claiming he did not have enough staff, or resources, to provide a proper service.

A HSE spokesman yesterday said plans for the new A&E department were well-advanced and the project would be going to tender in the coming weeks.

It will include a resuscitation room, extra treatment and observation facilities and special facilities for children.

The department will serve all of Co Kerry as well as parts of north Cork and west Limerick.

Meanwhile, the trolley and staffing situations in Tralee will be raised at a meeting between nurses’ representatives and the HSE on Tuesday.

INO industrial relations officer Michael Dineen claimed the hospital was at crisis point, adding the closure of a 24-bedsurgical ward looked set to continue.

The hospital has 408 full-time nurses, but Mr Dineen maintains an extra 102 are needed to cover leave.

“The situation within A&E and the hospital in general is unsafe due to the ongoing shortages of nurses,” he warned.

Hospital general manager Margie Lynch said the A&E department had been very busy of late. But additional nursing staff had been deployed to it, she said.

While Ms Lynch regretted that any person should suffer inconvenience, she said the hospital was doing everything possible to ensure all patients received the best possible care.