‘Dozensof beds’ to be opened
Yesterday, there were 522 people on trolleys in emergency departments (427) and wards (95), according to the trolley watch published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
The trolley count reached a record high of 601 on Tuesday, January 6, falling to 371 a few days later. The numbers then fluctuated before climbing to 522.
INMO general secretary Liam Doran said the cancellation of elective surgery in the last four weeks had resulted in more people either self-presenting at an emergency department or being referred there by their GP.
“It is an expected side-effect of cancelling elective surgery for an extended period,” he said yesterday.
Beaumont Hospital in Dublin had 56 patients on trolleys yesterday, the highest number; Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin, had 46; Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, Co Louth, had 44; and University Hospital Limerick had 35.
Mr Doran said the Emergency Department Taskforce, which he co-chairs, would meet next Monday afternoon to sign off on a plan to deal with chronic overcrowding
He said it was obvious that measures taken so far had not ameliorated the problem. Mr Doran said there was a need for a dramatic increase in bed capacity and an emergency nursing recruitment initiative.
“Funding cannot be an obstacle because if it is we will continue to see 500-plus people on trolleys,” he said.
Mr Doran said the action plan must involve beds, extra staff, change of work practices, and the development of expanded community care services.
While there was acceptance within the health system that there was a need for more funding to address the bed capacity issue, the Government would have to accept that was the case too.
“I think it would be very unfair of me not to acknowledge that huge efforts have been made in the past five weeks to deal with the problem but we are still living with a health system that does not have enough beds.”
Mr Varadkar said there were 460 patients on trolleys yesterday morning, according to the Department of Health’s special delivery unit’s trolley tally.
On the preceding night, 260 patients had been admitted, roughly double the norm, he pointed out.
Mr Varadkar said that by late afternoon yesterday, more than half of the patients were in a bed and the number of patients on trolleys was expected to decrease into the weekend. “The HSE is also opening dozens of extra beds in the coming weeks to cope with the additional demand,” he said.
Mr Doran said he believes
Mr Varadkar accepted the situation and understood what needed to be done to tackle the problem. The litmus test would be whether the Government was prepared to fund the reopening of beds. That will emerge after Monday’s meeting.
