There are 617 patients without a bed in hospitals around the country, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s figures.<\/p>\n
The organisation said that the highest number is in University Hospital Limerick, with 130 patients on trolleys.<\/p>\n
There are 388 patients waiting on trolleys in emergency departments across the country, according to the figures. It said that 229 patients are waiting on trolleys in other hospital wards.<\/p>\n
On 5 August last year, the INMO recorded 428 patients on hospital trolleys. At the time, the organisation recorded 277 patients waiting on trolleys in an emergency department, while 151 were waiting on trolleys in wards.<\/p>\n
INMO General Secretary Phil N\u00ed Sheaghdha said it was “outrageous” that patients were being treated on trolleys, chairs and other inappropriate bed settings.<\/p>\n
Ms N\u00ed Sheaghdha said that patients were “bearing the brunt of what was a totally avoidable trolley crisis during one of the hottest summers on record”.<\/p>\n
“This is very worrying for our members there who are trying their best to provide safe care in an environment that continues to get busier and busier.”<\/p>\n
“It is clear that the HSE have failed to heed the warnings of the INMO all throughout this summer and now patients are bearing the brunt of what was a totally avoidable trolley crisis during one of the hottest summers on record.”<\/p>\n
The HSE TrolleyGar figures put the number of patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals around the country at 408, with surge capacity at 551.<\/p>\n
It said that there are 272 patients on trolleys in emergency departments while 136 are on ward trolleys.<\/p>\n
Surge capacity is defined as the number of additional inpatient beds in operation temporarily to meet demand, such as those on day wards and assessment units.<\/p>\n
UHL overcrowding like groundhog day’<\/p>\n
The overcrowding situation at UHL is “like groundhog day”, INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations for the Midwest Mary Fogarty said.<\/p>\n
Ms Fogarty said the number of people attending UHL’s emergency department is three times higher than Cork University Hospital.<\/p>\n
Speaking on RT\u00c9’s News at One, she said: “The situation in University Hospital Limerick, is extremely challenging and it’s a constant challenge there on a daily 24-hour basis.”<\/p>\n
“The impact it’s having on our members and on all staff at the hospital is that morale, particularly in the emergency department, is extremely low.<\/p>\n
It’s impacting right across the hospital where there are, I think over 80 patients on trolleys right across the hospital.<\/p>\n
“So it’s never ending. “It’s like Groundhog Day in University Hospital Limerick every day,” she said.<\/p>\n
A new unit opened at UHL last October to provide an injection of almost 100 beds.<\/p>\n
However, Ms Fogarty said it has not provided “any real improvement” and called for an independent examination on the presentations and decisions to admit at UHL.<\/p>\n
“The hospital is experiencing high attendances, but I would question or we (INMO) would question, our members would question, whether all of those attendances and admission to the hospital are required, can some of them not be seen as outpatients are given appointments if they’re coming in for investigations in the private sector if that’s available to the hospital?<\/p>\n
“I do believe that at this point there should be an independent examination on the presentations and the decisions to admit at the hospital because they are extraordinarily high for July coming into August and we usually just see these figures of 130 in the winter prior to the additional 96 beds,” she said.<\/p>\n