Trolley crisis: Local numbers peak
Minister for Health Simon Harris officially opened the Scott Building on the grounds of the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore yesterday.
Accompanied by Minister of State for Health Promotion, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy, Mr Harris described the opening of the newly refurbished Scott Building as a “very important development” for Tullamore.
During the visit Mr Harris said he was sorry for patients and staff enduring the “extraordinarily challenging” situation at Irish hospitals. He outlined a range of temporary measures aimed at tackling the problem.
“Our hospitals are going through an extraordinarily challenging period of time at the present. I really am sorry for Irish patients and indeed for the staff working in our hospitals experiencing the conditions that they are having to put up with at the moment. It isn’t acceptable the health service must do better,” he remarked.
There were 45 patients on trolleys in Tullamore on Wednesday, which was an increase from 41 on Tuesday. While the number dropped to 37 yesterday and today (Friday), there is still huge concern at the high numbers.
Mr Harris insisted the HSE must “redouble its efforts and I expect the health service to do more than outlined in the winter initiative.”
Mr Harris said he wants to extend the opening hours of diagnostics so people can get in and out of the hospital environment quicker.
Minister Harris also wants measures to allow GPs make direct referrals to consultants rather than sending patients through the emergency
departments. The HSE will also examine how it can work with nursing homes and residential units to allow older people be cared for in those environments.
Wednesday's number on trollies in Tullamore was the second highest number of patients on trolleys in the country, second only to University Hospital Limerick, according to figures compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
Nationally, Tuesday saw a record number on trolleys, with 612 patients, admitted for care, on trolleys in hospitals.
That figure came at a time when the Organisation’s Trolley/Ward Watch analysis, for 2016, confirmed there were 93,621 admitted patients on trolleys, which is also a record figure for a calendar year.
The INMO said the numbers on trolleys this week were entirely predictable arising from the trend running right through November/December, which saw a significant deterioration in the daily trolleywatch figures compared to previous years.
The union said: “In that regard questions must be asked as to what measures were taken, over the past eight weeks to alleviate the situation and, in particular, to plan for the predictable surge in the early days of every new year.”