THE CLOSURE of a 24-bed ward at Naas General Hospital has led to significant overcrowding in the hospital’s emergency department, the Irish Nurses’ Organisation (INO) said yesterday.
It said there had been a 405 per cent increase in the number of patients on trolleys waiting for beds at the hospital in July this year compared with the same month last year, and that figures to date this month indicate there has also been a 106 per cent increase in the numbers of patients on trolleys compared with the same period last year.
Derek Reilly, INO industrial relations officer, said that behind these statistics were real people who are forced to wait for beds for long periods.
An “overflow” ward with 24 beds was closed by the hospital this summer due to the impact of the moratorium on recruitment in the public services.
A spokeswoman for the HSE confirmed that 24 beds had been closed and said the hospital is currently experiencing “a significantly busy period” in its emergency department.
“The HSE and Naas General Hospital are making every effort to address the situation and ensure that patients are not experiencing long delays.”
She said the country’s acute hospitals see and treat about 3,500 people each day in emergency departments, of which approximately 750 are admitted. The vast majority of patients requiring admission are transferred to a ward without any undue delay.