No patients on trolleys at Tullamore hospital report INMO

DESPITE the ongoing overcrowding crisis in hospitals around the country and soaring trolley figures being reported again this week, the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) has revealed there were no people on trolleys in the emergency department or in wards at the Midland Regional hospital in Tullamore on either Monday January 9 or today Tuesday January 10 of this week.

Every morning at 8am, INMO members count how many patients are waiting in the Emergency Department for a bed and how many are waiting in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

They count the number of patients who have been admitted to acute hospitals, but who are waiting for a free bed. These patients are often being treated on trolleys in corridors, but they may also be on chairs, in waiting rooms, or simply wherever there’s space.

Elsewhere in the Midlands the INMO reported there were 12 patients on trolleys at Mullingar hospital today January 10, while Portlaoise hospital had 4.

The Health Service Executive's own trolley figures which are recorded three times a day concur with the INMO figures.

In addition its figures revealed there were 10 people with Covid symptoms at Tullamore hospital at 8am this Tuesday morning. Portlaoise had 5 and Mullingar had 9 patients with Covid symptoms.

Overall the HSE figures reveal there were 390 patients on trolleys in acute hospitals around the country yesterday January 10, 138 of those had been waiting over 9 hours. This represents a 31.31% increase in trolley waiters versus last year the HSE say.

Sinn Féin TD for Laois / Offaly Brian Stanley has said that ''The Minister for Health must show real leadership and take the lead in tackling the crisis in public hospitals in Portlaoise and Tullamore.''

Deputy Stanley called for a series of measures which would marshal all available healthcare resources across the entire system to alleviate pressure on acute hospitals and improve management of emergency care.

''This means the Health Minister must convene daily meetings with HSE leadership and regularly engage with regional management to ensure all public and private healthcare resources are being used to the best effect.

I am deeply concerned by the huge pressure that our Hospitals are under. Staff at the hospital are doing their very best but are struggling to cope with the increased workload. Staff have informed me that this is the worst they have ever seen.

The Minister must engage with regional management in the Midlands to ensure they are fully supported to use all capacity in their areas to support emergency departments.

Best practice from other hospitals should be followed where appropriate including prioritising emergency and urgent care, redeploying staff from elective care to emergency departments, and using hospital capacity normally reserved for day-case and elective care to provide surge capacity.''

Meanwhile the MIDOC out of hours doctor service which was operated by private company MIDOC GP CLG, ceased on December 31. However, the HSE has moved to reassure people that the service is continuing as normal.

In its latest statement the HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO (Community Healthcare Organisation) said: There has been no disruption to the urgent out of hours GP services in the Midlands. The only change is that the private company, MIDOC GP CLG which coordinated the rotas/payments for the local GP’s and locum GP’s who worked in the out of hours service for Laois, Offaly, Mullingar and Longford ceased trading on 31st Dec 2022.''

It continued: ''However, HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO would like to reassure service users and patients that arrangements have been put in place between the HSE and local GP’s which will ensure continuity of care. Patients with urgent medical needs will continue to access the service as normal by calling the same number 1800 302 702 and, if required, they will be directed to one of the existing HSE owned treatment centres, which is what has happened since 1st January 2023.

HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO is currently in the process of seeking an alternative provider with a view to having that provider in place shortly. In the meantime, HSE Midlands Louth Meath CHO is managing the previous role of MIDOC GP CLG. The Out of Hours Service is a HSE service and the interim solution will continue until an alternative provider is in place.''