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Updated: 18.23
ELDERLY PATIENTS ARE having to wait on trolleys for days, according to nurses who protested against hospital overcrowding today.
Dozens of nurses from all over the country attended the demonstration, which took place outside Leinster House. The turnout was lower than expected due to treacherous road conditions in certain areas.
Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) working in University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Naas General Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital have voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.
It came after nurses at Galway University Hospital voted for the action yesterday and a week after Beaumont Hospital also announced its intention of going on a work to rule next month.
Speaking at the protest, Theresa Dixon, a clinical nurse manager at Naas General Hospital, said patients are being “deprived of dignity and respect”.
“We are no longer able to provide safe care to our patients. Our hospitals are dangerous.
It is completely unacceptable to see an elderly patient lying on a trolley for days. It is completely unacceptable to see patients who have no access to toilet facilities and washing facilities, who are being assessed in areas where there isn’t even a screen to cover them.
Dixon said the situation has come to a head as nurses have reached breaking point and are “very frustrated at the lack of response by successive governments”.
She said a lack of beds was not the only issue, as there is a shortage of nurses too.
Muireann O’Sullivan, a nurse who also works at Naas General Hospital, said staff are leaving work “exhausted” on a daily basis.
Morale is at an all-time low, we just feel as though we’re not doing our job. We don’t want to be put on a pedestal, we just want to go and do our job. All we want to do is nurse.The way we are treating the most vulnerable people in our society is unacceptable, it’s unforgivable.
O’Sullivan said the Department of Health and HSE cannot simply “throw money at this situation”, adding that they need to look at where it is being spent – particularly in relation to primary care and nursing home beds.
She said the planned work-to-rule will “absolutely” turn into a strike if overcrowding is not properly addressed.
Seven-year low
Earlier today, Health Minister Leo Varadkar said while there is a “chronic” overcrowding issue in several emergency departments, the number of people on trolleys was at a seven-year low today.
Claire Mahon, President of the INMO, said the figures have reduced on paper because additional beds have been placed on wards that “don’t have the capacity for them”.
“So to say that the trolley count is down in our ED departments – it’s only because the problem has been moved and dispersed ac the hospital. It has diluted the problem.
[Nurses] are so frustrated with the ongoing situation, it’s impossible for them to do their jobs. People can’t understand what that means whe you’re a nurse and you go into work to give care and you come home in the evening knowing that you weren’t able to do your best.
“You’re seeing patients in situations that are putting them at risk. None of us want that. Staff work very hard. It’s emotionally draining, it’s physically draining. Staff are going without breaks so they can do the extra bit. It’s almost like it’s a spiral to the bottom at this stage. To go in and face that every day is extremely difficult.”
SIPTU is launching a ‘Ready to Work’ protest campaign at hospitals across the country tomorrow to highlight the role home helps can play in alleviating the hospital crisis. There will be protests outside the accident and emergency department at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown and at St James Hospital in Dublin 8.
Additional reporting by Nicky Ryan
Originally published: 6.30am
Irish hospitals have been like this for so long. Iv been living in NZ the past 3 years. Been to A+E twice, and can tell you the irish health system is a joke. Fair play to the nurses and doctors working in them conditions. I feel sorry for anyone having to use A+E, particularly the matter hospital. Like a war zone Friday -Monday.
How , possibly , can Journal say that the turnout was due to weather conditions ? That is amazing .
Yet the recent polls show FG first place despite nothing being done to actively improve the health system or do anything to mitigate against long unemployment. Either these polls are a joke or the majority of people are not thinking rationally before they vote in these polls.
Poor turnout due to the bad weather! No bus fare! Some couldn’t be arsed taking part! Who gives a shi#t? This government and previous governments inaction and not giving a rats arse about Irish citizens is what’s amazing! COP ON!
That was for you Rory!
I know it’s a resource issue and a massive crisis in this country but some people certainly don’t help matters by going to a&e for every small little on niggle which could easily be addressed going to GP or even asking your chemist a few questions. And since when does getting the flu require a&e treatment?
Or homeless people registering as patients to get in out of the cold,for somewhere to sleep
The problem is not funding as it states in the article because it was, and still is well funded. The question is, where does the funding go?
Good old administrators is my guess. Layers upon layers of managers managing how the funds are allocated all the while they each take a cut for themselves.
For once I don’t fully blame politicians on this one. I blame the absolute greed of some people high up in the HSE
Niall. You are right.
It is like giving money to a Central African dictatorship and thinking it is going to help ordinary citizens in that country.
The front line is not viewed as a priority. Makes my blood boil.
I don’t agree with you. I really don’t believe that there are any significant number of people out there who traipse to A&E for any type of niggle without going to see their GP or pharmacist first. Who really wants to sit in an A&E department for hours on end where they can catch anything because they weren’t bothered to go to their GP first? Not many is my guess and certainty not enough to contribute to the overcrowding problem.
Dead right Niall …. Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians!!
You are absolutely right. Tomhenryford, but it helps to cloud the issue to cite all these ‘freeloaders and general bad hats ‘ to deflect from the real issues. There needs to be a THOROUGH investigation as to how it can cost billions to provide healthcare to a population smaller than most medium to large European cities. It cannot be beyond the wit of man to fathom it out.
It is an absolute disgrace that the health service cannot cope even though there are multi billions thrown at the problems. Is the answer to throw more into the black hole or should the real problem be addressed?
Why do beds close when funding runs out? Let’s get rid of a few administrators and manages instead. The HSE is a monster that exists to ensure its own existence. Managers do not manage anything and offices are full of administrators and record-keepers. Too few, if any, are answerable for budget overruns.
Do management argue that admin departments need to be centralised, computerised and downsized or closed?
No – close the beds instead – damn the patient. If the people or nurses take to the streets, the govt will throw more money at the monster.
We need more nurses less paper clippers and box-tickers.
There are not “multi billions ” thrown at the problem.
@ Rory…..
The National Service Plan 2014 for the health services was published following approval by the Minister for Health; Dr James Reilly T.D. The Service Plan sets out the type and volume of services the HSE will provide directly, and through a range of funded agencies, during 2014. These health and social care services must be delivered within the €13.120 billion funding provided by Government and within the stipulated employment levels.
Copied from the national health service plan for last year…
link here http://www.hse.ie/serviceplan2014
So Yes, there is a “Multi billions” cash injection poured into it every year,
Ye gob Sheite
Its a terrible situation that in 2015 hospitals are so over crowded and underfunded.
All that money that went to the bondholders could have made a real difference to these services.
Absolutely disgraceful,the government should hang its head in shame…
I worked in one of the busiest hospitals and I feel major chunk of patients never needed to be in the A/E at all. Most of the GPS will refer the patients with a hinch but with out thorough clinical examination and poor patients will wait forever in ED will loss of time and money. Out of hours services like westdoc eastdoc are no good either. You call them and they tell u to go to AE. So better close it and put that money in the hospital services.
I have spent a lot of time in a&e over the last few years and there is plenty of young Irish people very drunk that are brought on by ambulance too. I don’t see too many there with silly complaints. The truth is its usually filled with elderly people. They are on trolleys everywhere. No one in their right mind would go to UHL unless they absolutely had to. My father is regularly left for three days on a trolley before he us admitted. it’s what we have come to expect.
What do people expect when the country is being run by a shower of self serving monkeys
Just one word disgraceful
Ireland and the government of Ireland are all fur coat and no knickers. We should look after the weakest , ill , elderly as a priority and everything else after that.
How many a&e did this government close or downgrade. How much was cut out of community services. How many other services were cut. How many beds or wards did they close. Did they tackle the mismanagement. NO. Fair play to the nurse s trying to do what’s right.
Just spend three days in a/e sitting on hard chairs got a trolley for a night on a corridor .Drunks from eastern Europe filled A/e and they get the best treatment if your Irish your treated like rubbish .I am out thank God but I have a slight problem and have been told to go back as it needs to be checked but I’m comfortable in my own bed
Its not just drunken non nationals. I spent three days in a room beside a detoxing irish man who had literaly poisoned himself on vodka screaming abuse at staff for whatever they were using to detox him.Luckly they had me on morphine for broken bones or the fecker would have ended up in the morgue. I was in town a few weeks later for a pint and guess who was at the other end of the bar getting hammered ? I swear it should be a three strike rule for those feckers getting any help.Anyway I had him turfed from the bar as it was my local.
TBH I see why staff have to deal with them first. Having a drunk roaring and running about the place is not on.They should be allowed to chuck em in a drunk tank though.
It’s not about people it’s about balancing books and bond holders. It’s a total disgrace. I hope the nurses up the ante and forcethe HSE & govt to get their fingers out.
Why doesn’t the HSE put pressure on the families of “delayed discharges” to take them home? These families are being unfair on other patients by leaving their relatives in hospital.
The families may not be qualified or able to give the 24/7 care that the patient may need. Not that simple.
Not everyone has families.
Also they are not qualified to discharge, no, there must be an assigned doctor to be able to sign papers and do last minute checks so as to facilitate this.
You have given fair answers to my question.
‘re open all the closed down a+ e depts in the past two years Ennis nenagh etc and all the local wards
Glenoir that is without a doubt the answer.
Definitely protest but protest without the presence of Shinners. How many people went straight to the graveyard without ever having the luxury of attending a hospital? How many people were missing body parts on their final day? How many would be alive today? How can any decent person be associated in any way with this gang?
Pat Lyons.. I think you’ve hijacked the wrong thread… FG HQ will not be happy that their number 1 Sinn Fein basher monkey is losing the plot.
Niallers, your advice is appreciated.
Though the budget seems big and there is plenty of waste on things like the pharma cartel overcharging us, the funding has declined gradually over decades on many areas like mental health, hospital budgets nursing homes etc. hence old people being stuck in hospitals, a lack of mental health facilities etc. that backlog everything.
Just because a patient is on a trolley does not mean that they aren’t being treated.
A patient on a trolley is not being treated in safe and appropriate circumstances. The environment is also potentially unsafe and demoralising for nurses and clinicians in a highly trafficked environment and is contrary to modern Health and Safety standards.
There are problems with exposure of delicate patients to cold, cross infections and even to security.
There are also problems with security, lack of privacy, difficulty in on going timely monitoring and other risk factors identified in numerous internal reports. These condition are an affront to dignity and comfort.
It is unfortunate that some people will seek to minimise a very serious problem. Even the politicians are belatedly taking their heads out of the sand.
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians comes to mind.
have your say