Overcrowded hospitals leaving nurses 'running on fumes', says INMO
Some 105 people were on trolleys in UHL on Tuesday and 107 on Monday. File picture
Nurses are “running on fumes” and have raised concerns over patients' safety as hospitals are more overcrowded than ever for this time of year.
On Tuesday alone 590 patients were without a bed, while it was 674 on Monday, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said.
Separate HSE data for Tuesday showed 82 people on trolleys longer than 24 hours including 19 at University Hospital Limerick, 12 at the Mercy University Hospital and three in Cork University Hospital. On Monday that reached 129 nationally.
INMO industrial relations officer Liam Conway said nurses are “running on fumes” in busy hospitals. “There’s a significantly high number of people now,” he warned.
“We used to be shocked when we saw 500 patients on trolleys in the middle of winter, but we’ve never seen over 500 patients daily in the spring, coming into the summer.
“Now that seems to be acceptable by the HSE and the department but it’s totally unacceptable.”
The pressures can also be seen on the wards now, he said.
"We know CUH and University Hospital Kerry are significantly overcrowded, consistently,” he said. “There’s no let-up.”
Some 105 people were on trolleys in UHL on Tuesday and 107 on Monday. He warned of "increased risks to mortality".
"The longer you are in hospital it doesn't bode well."
Staff shortages add to pressures, and he said: "If someone goes on maternity leave, it’s taking three to six months to replace that person."
Social Democrats TD Padraig Rice warned overcrowding has become “a permanent feature of our health service”. “This is as a direct result of successive ministers’ sticking plaster approach to this crisis in our health service,” he said.
“Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill needs to move beyond quick fixes and properly commit to accelerating the crucial reforms set out in the Sláintecare, which would help alleviate these problems once and for all.”
He called for more focus on plans for elective hospitals including in Cork and Galway as well as "real alternatives” to hospitals. These should include funded homecare and properly staffed community services.
The HSE trolley count has also shown “high” pressures recently, a spokesman said. On Tuesday it showed 441 people on trolleys and 637 on temporary surge beds.
“There has been a 7.3% increase in emergency department attendance this year," he said. “Hospitals are exceptionally busy at present, with a significant number of people attending EDs being admitted for ongoing care.”
He said: “The number of patients currently waiting for hospital admission is high” despite staff efforts.
New ways to tackle this include ambulance liaison staff, more use of private hospitals, virtual wards and better access to scans. New staffing patterns at weekends and evenings are also in place.
He pointed to “high numbers of delayed transfers of care”. Some 514 patients had finished treatment on Tuesday but could not be discharged for a variety of reasons.
- Niamh Griffin is health correspondent for the
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
