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640 PATIENTS ARE being treated without beds in hospitals around the country today, according to the INMO, as the HSE warns the public to avoid emergency departments if possible due to overcrowding.
Hospitals experiencing the most pressure today Cork University Hospital, Tallaght University Hospital, University Hospital Limerick, Galway University Hospital and Letterkenny University Hospital, according to the HSE.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s trolley count put the number of patients being treated without a bed at 640 today, including 27 children.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that trolley numbers have been “very high over the last few days”.
Ní Sheaghda said that overcrowding records have been broken in Cork University Hospital (94 patients on trolleys today) and University Hospital Limerick (132 patients yesterday).
“This is leading to very dangerous situations for patients and nurses who are trying their best to provide safe care.”
The HSE issued a statement today to alert the public that several hospitals are reporting very high levels of activity this week driven by high rates of viruses like flu.
The health service said that at 8am this morning, there were 483 patients on trolleys – 366 in emergency departments and 117 on wards.
The latest data on flu cases suggest that influenza levels have peaked but it’s expected that high levels of demand on the health service from winter viruses will continue for the next several weeks.
The HSE is urging members of the public to consider other available care options, such injury units, GPs, and local pharmacies if they have a minor ailment.
HSE Chief Operations Officer Damien McCallion said there is “significant pressure on our EDs at the moment with increased presentations”.
“Whilst we ask the public to seek alternative services for non-urgent care, we want to reassure them that anyone who is seriously injured or ill, or worried their life may be at risk, should to go to the emergency department without delay,” McCallion said.
“By attending the GP, pharmacy or injury unit if you can, you will help alleviate pressure in the ED, which will help us get patients out of the ED and on to wards.”
He said that surge protocols, as part of the Urgent and Emergency Care plan, have been implemented as needed to reduce the number of patients waiting on trolleys for an acute bed and patients over the age of 75 waiting in emergency departments to be admitted for ongoing care and treatment.
“The HSE also appeals to the public to adhere to the public safety advice regarding the stormy weather and to avoid putting themselves in a position where they may have an accident or require emergency services.”
A Limerick city councillor has said his 87-year-old grandfather spent 100 hours on a trolley in University Hospital Limerick, describing the health service as being “on its knees”.
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I would imagine most people would try to avoid an emergency department if the could.
@johnabc: You’d be surprised.
@John Terry: Very true, they seem to have a lot of regulars.
FFG still wining.
@Jimmy Donovan: jimmy if there were 5m beds people would still turn up with the sniffles or a broken fingernail. They think they are the most important ones and generally don’t give a hoot about others but conversely the government do have a lot to answer for in terms of recruiting and retaining nurses and doctors on top of that the hospitals are too top heavy with managers line managers supervisors assistant this that and the other secretaries for this that and the order and assistant secretaries
@Nemethon: It’s an absolute disgrace from top to bottom and you are right it’s top heavy with ‘managers’ and the like.The main problem is the very strong unions.I really in all honesty can’t see it ever getting better never mind who is in government.
No doubt Stephen will appoint a task force to look into this.
I was in Limerick myself yesterday from 12:30 pm until 1am. For everyone saying it is a disaster from top to bottom you are wrong. I saw amazing porters, nurses, doctors and clerical staff as well as housekeeping, working small miracles all over the place. Nobody stuck on a trolley whilst I was there, had a bad word to say about the staff. The HSE is the problem in UHL.
@William Rymer: I said it was a disaster from top to bottom but by no means(it might have come across badly in my point)did I mean that the nurses/porters/doctors or any of the medical staff were to blame.It’s the multiple layers of managers/middle managers and all the ‘back room staff’ that are the main problem.cheers.
People seem to think they can get sick whenever it suits them and just swan into the nearest hospital expecting to be treated
That’s NOT how it works folks….
I guess the HSE telling people to avoid hospitals is one way to solve the problem. Other advice from the HSE: don’t get sick if at all possible.
@Radical Centrist: I’ve no doubt the HSE believes hospitals run far more effectively without any patients.
The new children’s hospital isn’t experiencing any overcrowding at the moment!
@Radical Centrist: Reminds me of a certain Yes, Minister! episode.
One should count one’s blessings, as it would be 10 fold if SF were in government
@Rex Tynan: Rex wins the prize for biggest sheep.
@Rex Tynan: Where is your proof ? You seem to have no problem with the overcrowding of hospitals under the tenur of FFG:/ Greens. Your predicted vision of the future is akin to FF/ Greens when they stated the IMF were not coming to Ireland .
The wonderful HSE and minister Donnelly, the waffling incompetent party hopping political oportunist are really doing a sterling job….
10,000 extra staff added to HSE payroll in 2023 bringing total to 120,000
Some indictment on Stephen Donnelly, Robert Watt, Bernard Gloster, Leo Varadkar, Micheal Martin & Eamon Ryan, shameful.
I’ve always wondered if the renaming of hospitals to university hospital was meant to inspire confidence in the health services. It hasn’t seemed to improve things so far. The crisis in a&e has persisted for years and continues to worsen, yet the people who manage and plan these services continue to be dumbfounded. How have successive ministers and governments not sorted this out by now. And the blame cant be laid at the union’s door as is usually the case. They advocate for change but no one listens or tries to change. Our services are based on population size from 20 years ago and the services locations are gauged on similar city populations but dont account for the large area these services cover.
Avoid A&E if possible, eh? So you want people to pee off somewhere and die?
500 million euro spent on the A&E dept in Galway. On what I can’t imagine, smaller waiting area I’m told by folks who have been there. Still wedged with trollies. The money would have been better spent on step down facilities in Merlin park. A huge HSE site a few miles away freeing up acute beds . But that would have made too much sense. HSE should be broken up as it’s not fit for purpose. Huge sums of money thrown into a black hole for no return on investment. Cheaper to pay for private healthcare for the population.
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