INMO warns of a 'bleak winter ahead' as 10,000 patients spent time on trolleys during August

Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation leader Phil Ní Sheaghdha said a fully-funded winter plan should be published before the emergency taskforce meeting this month. File picture: Leah Farrell/Rolling News

Almost 10,000 patients spent time on a trolley during August in a shocking new monthly record, as pressures on hospitals continue to increase.

Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) found that for the first time in a year, University Hospital Limerick (UHL) did not top the monthly poll, as an intense six-week programme to tackle overcrowding starts to show results.

This is the third month this year which saw trolley numbers set new records, the INMO’s general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha warned.

In all, 9,603 patients were admitted to hospital last month and could not immediately be given a hospital bed, the INMO count shows. This includes 79 children.

Patients at University Hospital Galway faced the biggest challenges, with 1,166 on trolleys, followed by UHL with 1,130 patients on trolleys.

In that time, 919 patients attending Cork University Hospital faced delayed care, 754 at St Vincent’s University Hospital and 720 at Sligo University Hospital.

Ms Ni Sheaghdha called for urgent action.

“The consistently high levels of overcrowding we have seen this summer are sounding the alarm for a very bleak winter ahead, unless immediate action is taken by the Minister for Health and the HSE in the form of a fully-funded winter plan,” she said.

“This plan should be published prior to the Emergency Taskforce reconvening in September. It is not good enough to publish a plan for winter when healthcare workers and patients are in the throes of a winter crisis.”

She highlighted recent improvements at UHL as indicating this problem can be tackled.

“This is due in part to the work of the expert team led by Dr Mike O’Connor, by listening to what nursing ward managers, staff nurses, and nursing managers have been constantly saying,” she said.

“And now this team are actioning into improving the operational processes in UHL which has seen significant results.

“This has been achieved by ramping up the discharge and internal/external patient flow processes through robust implementation by the review team.”

She called on other hospitals to follow UHL’s lead: 

It should not take this union and its members consistently shining a spotlight on problems with overcrowding for action to be taken.

The INMO had repeatedly called for health watchdog Hiqa to inspect the hospital, which they did in June.

The analysis also shows the national total for last month is slightly higher than August 2019, the last normal year of activity, and 21% higher than August 2018.

“As we head into a winter of unknowns in our health service, the Minister for Health and senior HSE management must make it their business to take every step that they can to protect nurses, midwives, and patients,” she said.

Over 1,171 healthcare staff have caught Covid-19 in the last month, she said.

“It is vital now that the booster and flu vaccines are provided to healthcare workers. The health and safety of our healthcare workforce and patients depends on it,” she urged.