THE RECORD numbers of patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments was condemned as a “national disgrace” by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation yesterday, as well as by Opposition parties.
Liam Doran, general secretary of the nurses’ organisation, said it was quite obvious Minister for Health Mary Harney’s approach to the crisis had been totally inadequate.
He said the crisis deserved the same level of political engagement as the economic crisis and urged Ms Harney to direct the reopening of over 1,000 closed hospital beds as well as the provision of more minor injury units and enhanced community facilities.
Fine Gael spokesman on health Dr James Reilly said the “shocking” figure of 569 people on trolleys in emergency departments was the clearest manifestation yet of the appalling failure of the Government’s health policy.
“This Government continues to preside over a policy of hitting the front line. This approach has produced the current crisis, with fewer beds available to patients, longer waiting times, more cancelled operations and the further exacerbation in the number of patients lying on trolleys in our emergency departments,” he said.
Labour spokeswoman on health Jan O’Sullivan said letting people languish on trolleys in corridors and examination rooms for hours on end was completely unacceptable in this day and age. “I spoke to one patient in Limerick who was on a trolley for more than half a day, and where it was nearly impossible to get as much as a basic comfort like a cup of tea. Nobody should be forced to put up with those conditions,” she said.
Five years ago, she said Ms Harney declared the trolley crisis a national emergency when there were 495 patients on trolleys.
“Now at a time when the figure has exceeded that, she has gone to ground,” she added.
Sinn Féin spokesman on health Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the cuts imposed in the recent Budget would make the situation far worse: “Unless real policy change is delivered, we will see more patients on trolleys, far fewer hospital beds, longer waiting lists and the continuing emigration of trained medical professionals.”
Dr Pat Plunkett, consultant in emergency medicine at St James’s Hospital, said the Health Service Executive and others had “talked the hind legs off improving” processes to alleviate emergency department overcrowding, to no avail. He said the HSE had its head in the sand if it thought flu was the reason for the problem now. It was delayed discharges and lack of bed availability. And he is concerned junior doctor shortages may exacerbate the situation. The HSE was now “barrel-scraping” trying to fill junior doctor posts, he claimed.
He said Ms Harney had done nothing to deal with the crisis and in any other country she would have resigned long ago.
The HSE said there were 13 patients nationwide waiting over 24 hours for admission to hospital yesterday compared to 45 the day before. “Whilst waits of this duration are regrettable, steps are being taken to cope with the additional demand . . .” it said.
It added that this year would see the start of its national clinical programmes, including an acute medicine programme, which would focus on implementing proven solutions to remove waiting lists and reduce trolley waits.