Covid cannot be 'whipping boy' for healthcare system failures, says patients' group
Limerick was ranked the worst in the country with 290 people on trollies and wards during the week. Picture: Don Moloney
In one week, 2,155 patients waited for care on trolleys and wards across the country.
Just two hospitals managed to have no one waiting on trolleys in the week to November 5 - Beaumont Hospital and Connolly Hospital.
Four Munster hospitals were among the top 10 most overcrowded hospitals, according to the latest data from the Irish Patients' Association (IPA).
Limerick was ranked the worst in the country with 290 people on trollies and wards during the week.
CUH came in fourth with 165 and University Hospital Kerry in eighth with 103 patients followed closely by Mercy University Hospital, Cork with 83.
The top five hospitals - Limerick, Letterkenny, Galway, CUH and the Mater - accounted for almost half of all those reported to have spent time on trollies and in wards.
The IPA said that there must be continued focus on providing non-Covid care as some 450 beds in hospitals are being taken up by Covid-19 patients.
"Covid-19 must not be the whipping boy for all that ails our healthcare system," the group said.
The HSE, Stephen Donnelly and the Department of Health were criticised for not yet agreeing a Winter Plan for 2022.
"Winter demand has been well rehearsed and ongoing for years, it is known about, it can be planned for," the IPA said, adding that Covid-19 is not the only driver of the overcrowding crisis.
The Saolta University Health Care Group which oversees seven hospitals performed the worst over the seven-day period followed by the South/Southwest Hospital Group.
Last week, Dr Tom McCormack, on behalf of the consultant body of University Hospital Kerry (UHK), wrote a letter to the CEO of the South/South Hospital Group outlining urgent issues facing the hospital including overcrowding.
In the five-page letter, Dr McCormack writes: "We have lost confidence in the ability of the Health Service Executive locally, regionally and nationally to provide safe, timely and effective care for our patients in UHK.
"We do not see evidence of strategic leadership to bring about the necessary changes to enable UHK to maintain and develop services for the population it serves.
Dr McCormack said bed limitations at the hospital puts patient safety at risk and, coupled with daily staff shortages, causes huge delays in patient flow and negatively impacts the ability to deliver safe care.
The "totally inadequate" number of single rooms increases infection control risks, he says, and this leads to frequent outbreaks and subsequently the loss of further beds to deal with these outbreaks.
The benefit of the additional 33 beds that were opened at UHK before the pandemic have been negated as there are now 36 beds being used to treat both critical and non-critical Covid patients, said Dr McCormack.
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