TD claims government has become immune to overcrowding in hospitals

A SINN Féin TD has claimed the Government “has become immune to the unsafe, degrading, and undignified experience many patients face in overcrowded hospitals.”

Seán Crowe, who represents Dublin South-West, said in a statement last week that 160 patients were on trolleys in Tallaght University Hospital last week, and 54 of those were on Tuesday alone.

Deputy Crowe said: “The situation in hospital emergency departments across the state including Tallaght University Hospital is chaotic.

“Workers are trying their hardest, doing long exhausting shifts and taking care of patients the best they can and I commend them.

“However, the Government abandoned patients and workers when they made a deliberate decision to underfund the health service in the Budget and failed to make investments in capacity over the last three Budgets.

“Hospitals simply don’t have the infrastructure that they need.

“It seems that [the] Government has become immune to the unsafe, degrading, and undignified experience many patients face in overcrowded hospitals.

“People deserve help in the right places when they need it.

“Patients who need emergency or urgent care should not put off attending hospital due to long waits, but the long waits need to be addressed.

“Healthcare workers in Tallaght University Hospital are trying their best but are working with one hand tied behind their back because they lack the bed, diagnostic, and theatre capacity that they need.

“The opportunity to build up capacity over the last four years has been squandered.

“We know there is a 1,000-bed deficit across the state, and that is reflect[ed] in the trolley figures on a daily basis and in tens of thousands of cancelled appointments every month.”

Deputy Crowe then called on the Government to revise their Budget for the health service this year and to increase it in a bid to reduce the deficits across the healthcare system.

“Patients and workers in Tallaght University Hospital deserve better,” added Deputy Crowe.

A Department of Health spokesperson told The Echo that, last year, a switch was made from winter planning to year-round planning to deal with the increasing number of emergency department presentations.

“The plan aimed to reduce the numbers of patients waiting on trolleys, with a specific focus on reducing the number of patients aged 75 and over waiting over 24 hours in EDs,” they said.

“For the last six months of 2023, the median ED waiting time and, more importantly the number of elderly patients waiting more than 24 hours, were significantly lower than the same period in 2022.

“The core Health Service Executive (HSE) Capital allocation for 2024 is €1.21 billion, an increase of 11 per cent in National Development Plan capital funding.

“The Department of Health are engaging with the HSE in the development of the Capital Plan for 2024 that will include surgical hubs, a new children’s hospital, National Maternity Hospital, elective hospitals, intensive care units and community bed capacity, enhanced community care infrastructure, continued investment in mental health, primary and community care, addressing infrastructure risk and equipment replacement, as well as Climate Action target initiatives.

“The Capital Plan 2024 will be published following review and approval by the Minister for Health.”