Andrew Carey
AS a total of 41 patients wait on trolleys at the University Hospital Limerick this Tuesday, nurses will know next Monday following a week of balloting if they will go on strike on January 27 next.
However the HSE say that they are working to address the issues but January is traditionally a busy time of the year and the age profile and complex condition of patients presenting is “contributing to the increase in pressure”.
Meantime, balloting of members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation started this Monday while 25 patients waited on trollies at the Limerick hospital, but just 24 hours later the number had jumped to almost double.
INMO figures according to Trolley Watch this Tuesday, show that Limerick has the joint second highest numbers waiting on trollies in the country. University Hospital Limerick is joined by Beaumont Hospital in Dublin with 41 patients on trollies while Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda has 45 patients on trollies.
Nationally, the figures indicate that a total of 601 patients are waiting on trollies this Tuesday – up from Monday’s figure of 563.
Nurses say that there are up to 70 nursing positions vacant and if they are filled, they would be able to provide the safe level of care required in the region.
The INMO is renewing its call for the cancellation of all planned elective (routine) admissions, to the country’s acute hospitals, for a minimum of two weeks as the level of overcrowding, in the country’s emergency departments, reached an all time high.
Following what they say were “extensive contacts with its members in ED departments over the weekend, The INMO has been found that this level of overcrowding has again resulted in the compromising of patient care in many ways including.
“The current situation must be treated as a health service crisis requiring a national response which is not hampered by normal bureaucratic, administrative practices and limitations.”
The group say that “patient care is now being severely compromised and this cannot be tolerated any longer”.
Limerick TD, Willie O’Dea is calling on the Minister for Health to intervene immediately in the crisis.
“Overcrowding is crippling the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick and is putting patients’ safety at risk. This is a crisis which has been deteriorating steadily in recent years, but the Minister and his predecessor have stood back and refused to take action and now the numbers on trolleys have reached record levels despite Minister Reilly declaring in 2011 that there would never be a problem with overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick again.
“Instead the situation is so bad in the Mid-West that around 1,000 nurses throughout the region are balloting for industrial action over attempts by management to place even more trolleys on wards.
“Some of the people languishing on these trolleys are suffering with serious conditions, others are elderly and all of them are being made suffer the indignity and exposure of being treated on a trolley. This is not the health service that we deserve.”
Responding, the HSE said that they are working to address the issues.
“January is traditionally a very busy time in the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and we are, as expected seeing an increase in emergency presentations.
“Amongst the key factors contributing to the increase in pressure within the ED is the older age profile of patients presenting and the complexity of issues they have. As a result, we are experiencing delays in discharging these patients home or to other appropriate settings. We are working with our colleagues in the community to secure extra beds to address these delayed discharges.
“As part of our escalation plan to address the expected increase, UL Hospitals has opened additional beds across the group and patients who have finished their care are being discharged home or to the community. Where possible patients are being transferred from UHL to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s for ongoing treatment and elective non-emergency surgery has been deferred.
“UL Hospitals apologises that any patient has to be wait to be admitted. Patients are reminded to keep the ED for emergencies only and to contact their GP or GP Out of Hours services in the first instance. Local Injury Units are open in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday and 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday at St. John’s Hospital.
“Patients aged 5 years+ with minor injuries; for example suspected broken bones in arm or lower leg, sprains, strains, minor scalds, burns or cuts are encouraged to visit their Local Injury Units for treatment,” the statement concluded.
