Report ranges of overcrowding have been seen in Limerick, Cork and Galway College Hospitals
Greater than 122,000 sufferers, together with over 2,000 kids, have been admitted to hospital with out a mattress in 2024 in accordance with figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
A complete of 122,186 sufferers have been on trolleys final yr, with a major proportion ready greater than six hours for an acceptable mattress.
With flu instances at the moment at excessive ranges, the primary two days of the brand new yr has additionally seen giant numbers on trolleys. In accordance with the INMO’s Trolley Watch knowledge, 571 admitted sufferers have been ready for beds yesterday morning. A complete of 375 sufferers have been ready within the emergency division, whereas 196 have been in wards elsewhere within the hospital.
Phil Ni Sheaghdha, INMO Normal Secretary
“We all know that due to the excessive price of hospital admissions of flu and different respiratory diseases, our members are at the moment working in very troublesome circumstances,” stated INMO Normal Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha.
“The variety of sufferers being handled on trolleys each in our emergency departments and on wards could have implications for an infection management. Putting trolleys on ward corridors the place there aren’t any home windows or correct air move programs render the areas unsafe for workers and sufferers.
The highest 5 most overcrowded hospitals for 2024 embody:
- College Hospital Limerick: 23,203 sufferers
- Cork College Hospital: 13,162 sufferers
- College Hospital Galway: 10,983 sufferers
- Sligo College Hospital: 7,618 sufferers
- St Vincent’s College Hospital: 6,922 sufferers
In Limerick, Cork and Galway, the 2024 figures symbolize report ranges of overcrowding for these hospitals.
Ms Ní Sheaghdha pointed to latest analysis by the Well being Info and High quality Authority which discovered that 72 per cent of sufferers are spending greater than six hours on a trolley.
“The medical analysis is evident, spending greater than six hours on a trolley has detrimental affect on long-term well being outcomes, notably for older folks. That is now a human rights situation and one which the INMO will pursue with like-minded organisations.”
With a brand new Authorities set to be shaped early in 2025, the Irish Medical Organisation has referred to as for healthcare to be the central pillar within the new Programme for Authorities.
IMO president Dr Denis McCauley
“The complete system of GP and hospital well being providers mustn’t come to a disaster level due to a predictable leap in sickness from one thing like a seasonal flu,” stated IMO president Dr Denis McCauley. “We’re pushing our well being providers too arduous, for an excessive amount of of the yr and there’s no spare capability to deal with one thing like a flu outbreak.
“The apply of cancelling elective surgical procedures each January is solely not ok for sufferers. We should plan and fund what’s required to fulfill the well being wants of our sufferers and meaning making certain there are sufficient beds, sufficient docs and sufficient healthcare professionals to have the ability to deal with sufferers in a secure and well timed method.”
Dr McCauley stated that the primary motion of the brand new Authorities in healthcare have to be to reverse the 2024 Pay and Numbers Technique, which he described as primarily the recruitment embargo in disguise with a ‘vastly damaging’ staffing restrict.
He stated that the subsequent Authorities should quickly improve workforce and mattress capability to deal with the wants of rising inhabitants numbers and to ease the demand on the well being service. “For years we now have tolerated big numbers of sufferers on trolleys, work environments for docs which are stuffed with threat for them and their sufferers, too few docs and growing ready lists throughout key specialties. That is unacceptable and can’t proceed.”
He added that the subsequent Authorities should additionally decide to a full overview of how psychological well being providers are resourced and delivered, and assist Normal Apply with an elevated concentrate on persistent illness administration programmes and ladies’s well being.
