Government completely failed people this winter
By Maurice Garvey
THE highest ever trolley figures recorded last week, indicate Health Minister Simon Harris and the HSE have “completely failed people this winter”, according to Dublin South West TD John Lahart.
On Monday, March 12, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) released worrying statistics, which showed 714 patients were on trolleys in acute hospitals - 40 in Tallaght Hospital and 19 in St James Hospital.
714 patients were on trolleys in acute hospitals with 40 of them in Tallaght Hospital
“Not only are the figures unacceptable, but the length of time that patients are being kept on trolleys is extremely worrying,” said Deputy Lahart.
“There are reports locally of an 84-year-old patient on a trolley for more than 24 hours and of a 64-year-old man having spent 109 hours on a trolley in Tallaght. That’s over four and a half days - surely some breach of human rights.”
He continued: “It is critical that the capacity review, published earlier this year, is acted on as a matter of urgency. A population that is getting progressively older means that these problems are not likely to go away soon.”
The INMO have repeatedly called for a two-week period in March to be treated as an emergency period in the Irish public health service.
Speaking on Monday, March 12, INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said the upsurge was “predictable” after health authorities failed to heed their warnings ahead of Storm Emma.
“The INMO are, yet again, calling for emergency status to be immediately declared and emergency response plans put into operation,” said Ni Sheaghdha.
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