Extra beds promised to tackle A&E crisis

Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said that up to 200 additional community beds will be opened and staffed by the middle of the month to deal with hospital overcrowding.

Yesterday, there were 518 people on trolleys in emergency departments (397) and wards (121) as the minister said hundreds of additional nurses were “in the process” of being hired.

Fianna Fáil’s health spokesman, Billy Kelleher, said there was now a real fear that last month’s record 601 trolley figure could be matched or exceeded.

University Hospital Limerick had 54 patients on trolleys yesterday; Beaumont Hospital in Dublin had 48; University Hospital Galway had 38; and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda had 30.

Mr Kelleher said that, despite having predicted a worsening of the situation, Mr Varadkar’s response had been unbelievably muted. “The emergency department taskforce has only held three meetings to date, despite the escalating crisis,” he said.

“Additional resources must be allocated without delay if this situation is to be contained and managed effectively.”

The taskforce met on Monday afternoon to consider a draft action plan to alleviate chronic overcrowding in the country’s emergency departments.

However, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said the plan lacked urgency and specific measures needed to be implemented immediately to deal with the crisis.

The INMO asked for the plan to be revised so that it includes concrete measures involving the opening of additional beds.

The nurses’ organisation said the number of admitted patients on trolleys increased by 9% in January, compared to the previous year and by 39% compared to January 2013.

Meanwhile, industrial action by INMO members in the Mid West Hospital Group, which was to take place yesterday, was deferred after the union secured extra nursing posts at two separate hearings under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission in relation to overcrowding.

A total of 70 nursing staff are to be recruited for the University Hospitals Group, including University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. A further 39 nurses are to be recruited at Naas General Hospital in Kildare.

The INMO has recommended its members in Naas defer industrial action due to commence this morning.

The commitment to recruit extra nurses at the hospitals was welcomed by the INMO, which described the development as a positive outcome for members who continued to struggle with unmanageable workloads on a daily basis due to persistent overcrowding and under-staffing. The INMO has called for an “aggressive” recruitment campaign to have the posts filled immediately.

“All barriers to the recruitment of nurses must now be lifted,” the union said, with its director of industrial relations, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, saying that every effort to recruit nurses must now be made.

The union is to monitor the situation over the next two weeks and has asked for the continued involvement of the Labour Relations Commission.

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