Donnelly acknowledges risks to patients posed by overcrowding
The Health Minister said “the literature is very clear that overcrowding increases patient risks, nobody can dispute this” adding that the current situation was “a perfect storm”. Picture: Collins Photos
Stephen Donnelly has acknowledged that people will die because of risks posed by overcrowding in emergency departments.
It comes as more than 800 people are waiting on trolleys across the Irish hospital service on Wednesday morning.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) warned that "no hospital is unaffected by overcrowding today" as they released their trolley watch data.
They say that patients have been left on trolleys or chairs in emergency departments or elsewhere in every hospital.
The group have urged the Government to intervene and declare an "out and out crisis" as a total of 838 patients are awaiting a bed as of 8am on Wednesday.
The number has fallen from Tuesday's record high when 931 people waiting for a hospital bed. Today's figure is still the second-highest on record.
The Health Minister said “the literature is very clear that overcrowding increases patient risks, nobody can dispute this” adding that the current situation was “a perfect storm”.
Patients on trolleys was something that had been seen for many years, he added. “We need more beds, more community resources”.
Speaking on RTÉ's Mr Donnelly said the HSE had recently secured 185 private hospital beds to help address hospital overcrowding. Mr Donnelly said his message was that all available private bed capacity should be used when asked about calls from private hospitals for “an overarching agreement.”
Leo Varadkar has said it is unacceptable that ill patients are being left for hours or overnight on trolleys, as he stated there were 700 people on trolleys according to HSE figures.
The Taoiseach said Mr Donnelly is to fully brief Cabinet on what he called the very serious situation in hospitals, adding there were still a lot of patients not getting the dignity they deserve during their stay in hospital.
Mr Varadkar said that it was not acceptable to have so many patients on trolleys, but since Covid arrived in 2020 there are 1,000 more beds and 6,000 more doctors and nurses.
Mr Varadkar pointed out that there is at present a record level of investment in healthcare.
"We've never had more resources than now," the Taoiseach said.
Mr Donnelly last night warned that the winter surge is likely to get worse before it gets better. Hospitals will be supported to take all necessary measures to help alleviate the crisis, he said.
Mr Donnelly said it is unlikely that any further decisions in relation to pressures facing the health service will be made at today's Cabinet meeting as no fresh advice has been presented by the Chief Medical Officer for consideration.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha has however called for action, stating: "We again repeat our call for the current approach of telling people just to avoid hospitals to cease The focus should be on providing supplemented emergency supports until the end of February.
"It is time for the Government to call this what it clearly is – an out and out crisis. A crisis warrants an extraordinary response from Government and the HSE.
"When nurses who are at the frontline dealing directly with patients and often the ones apologising to patients and their families on behalf of the State because of the chaotic conditions are calling on the Government to take action including but not limited to the immediate cessation of all non-urgent activity and the introduction of a time-limited mask mandate, then it must not continue to fall on deaf ears.
"Nurses and other healthcare staff cannot continue to weather this storm without adequate support and protection from their employer, it will add to the increasing intention to leave of staff which is exactly what this health service does not need."
The news comes as a leading consultant has claimed that at least 5,000 beds are needed to help lift some of the extreme pressures on the hospital service.
Speaking on RTÉ's , Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Beaumont Hospital Dr Peadar Gilligan said that the capacity in hospitals is "hugely constrained".
"It's been particularly challenging (in Beaumont) like in every hospital in the country. Essentially, 100% of the capacity of the emergency department is occupied by patients who are boarded, awaiting a hospital bed.
"The solution is the development of capacity. I acknowledge that the Minister has said that there are 900 additional beds in the system, that is less than half of the lowest estimate of the requirements for the system.
"We're looking at 5,000 additional beds being required. They need to be developed, there needs to be a plan for how that is to be achieved in a timely manner so we can avoid (this reality) in the future"
As of this morning, 34 people are awaiting a bed in Beaumont hospital, an increase of 8 on Tuesday's figures.
Dr Gilligan said they were getting treatment — but not in the manner in which the hospital would like, with some sitting on chairs beside nurses' stations and trolleys.
He expected 180 to 220 patients to arrive in the hospital's emergency department on Wednesday, with only two or three trolley spaces available.
He called for the announcement of full capacity protocol, which would see patients moved to ward areas, as opposed to the emergency department.
When asked if patient lives were at risk because of the current conditions, Dr Gilligan replied: “definitely”.
Overcrowding in emergency departments meant delays in diagnosing and treating heart attacks and strokes and delivering antibiotics. “Definitely there are clinical consequences to our failure to develop the capacity that the system clearly needs. Lives are definitely at risk. The reality is we don't have the beds in the system that we need.”
He added: "Anywhere that is working at 100% capacity is not as safe as it should be. We know that from the research that has been done. We know there's delays to those receiving antibiotics, there's delays to the treatment of heart attacks and strokes, because essentially it's taking longer for the doctor to see patients due to a lack of clinical space.
Dr Gilligan noted that there are ways that the public can assist with the overcrowding issue.
"If you have a relative in hospital who has been deemed appropriate for discharge, rather than waiting until the evening, collect them as early as possible. That will mean there is now a bed available that otherwise would continue to be occupied.
Dr Gilligan responded to calls from the Health Minister for "senior decision makers" to be on site in hospitals, saying that this was already the case and that he had only been on site in Beamount himself over the weekend.
He claimed that there were extended challenges with facilitating space for consultants and experts to work, giving the example that a surgeon would need a theatre space, having a clinical care space for clinical doctors.
"One of the other challenges we have, which the Minister didn't reference on this occasion, is that we have over 900 senior decision-maker posts not filled on a permanent basis in Ireland.
"The system is under-resourced. That lack of resourcing creates challenges in the delivery of safe patient care."
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