‘UHL trolley numbers are staggering’ says Tipperary Sinn Féin representative

There is growing concern in Nenagh about the increasing number of people waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick.

This week, Sinn Féin representative for Nenagh Damian O’Donoghue said the most recent trolly numbers are “staggering.”

Mr O’Donoghue said:

"These levels of overcrowding are now a danger to patients and staff. Staff, I should add that are doing incredible work in very difficult conditions.

“Anyone that has been unlucky enough to have to use the Emergency Department recently will have seen how packed the area is and how long it takes to be seen, said Mr O’Donoghue.

He said that last week, there were over 100 people on trolleys everyday.

The last Wednesday of September saw a high of 124 people on trolleys.

“The fact that these numbers do not surprise us anymore is an indictment of how health care is being managed in the mid-west, or mismanaged might be a better way to put it,” said Mr O’Donoghue.

A NATIONAL SCANDAL

Commenting on last week’s high figures and the continued overcrowding of the ED at UHL, the Midwest Hospital Campaign group hit out at the Government.

Citing figures given at the recent Regional Health Forum West, the group said that 24%, almost a quarter of all those who attended UHL ED were left on trolleys.

“This is a national scandal. Year on year, the situation at UHL worsens. Our politicians pay nothing but lip service to it.

“Nowhere else in the country is left in such a state of disadvantage when it comes to Emergency care. This cannot be allowed to continue,” said the group.

He said there were only five days in September when the number of people on trolleys fell below 100.

On September 15, the count showed a drop to 82 people waiting on trolleys.

“This is an incredibly unsafe situation for patients attending UHL.

“For four years now our campaign has continuously called for the upgrading of Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals and the reopening of our emergency departments.

“We have done so, because we know the importance of timely access to emergency healthcare.

“We understand the negative impact overcrowding is having on our communities, and we know it is not possible to deliver high standards of care in grossly overcrowded conditions.

“Overcrowding is dangerous. It is harmful to health. It results in delayed diagnosis, adverse clinical outcomes, medical errors and preventable deaths.

“It is an accepted fact that for every 82 patients left waiting for six hours in an ED at least one will die.

“There is an urgent need for this government to stop the denial and to recognise that One Emergency Department simply cannot cater for over 400,000 of a population,” said the group.

Mr O’Donoghue said he too, is concerned about excess mortality rates in overcrowded emergency departments. Citing a Royal College of Emergency Medicine report in Britain, he said there is one excess death per every 67 patients who must wait in an Emergency Department for 8-12 hours.

“This demonstrates the seriousness of the situation and tells us that lives are being lost as a result of this overcrowding.

“Earlier in the year, as part of the Mid Western Hospital Campaign group, I met the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Limerick. He assured us that this issue was a top priority for the government.

“Since that meeting, the situation has gotten worse.

“The ‘Centre of Excellence’ the people of north Tipperary were promised when the government disgracefully closed the A&E in Nenagh Hospital in 2009 is non-existent.

“There has been a failure to act in a meaningful way to address this issue,” said Mr O’Donoghue.

He said he was very concerned about how the situation will develop over the winter months.

“If the September figures are this high, how high will they be in December and January?

“UHL overcrowding needs to be addressed now and given top priority, or more families will suffer as many already have,” said Mr O’Donoghue.