More than 100 patients waiting on NW trolley beds for second day in a row  

More than 100 patients are again waiting on trolley beds in Letterkenny (LUH) and Sligo University Hospitals (SUH) for the second day running. 

LUH had 64 waiting on trolley beds on Monday morning, but this had been reduced to 56 by Tuesday morning.

LUH remained under significant pressure with high attendances and long wait times in our Emergency Department in recent days.

It has also been reported that 13 patients are being treated for Covid-19 with outbreaks reported in four separate wards at LUH. 

The figures come from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), whose daily trolley watch figures indicated on Monday Letterkenny had the second highest trolley beds figures in the country yesterday, just one less than at Cork University Hospital.

This morning, Saolta the group who manage the hospitals issued a statement for the second day running regarding LUH saying:  

“All available beds are in use. Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity.

“However, due to the pressures on the site and the lack of bed capacity, the hospital is postponing a number of elective day case and inpatient adult procedures. Urgent, time sensitive cases are being prioritised. Patients are being contacted directly if their procedure is being postponed.  

“Outpatient appointments are proceeding as usual and people should come to their appointments unless advised otherwise. However, anyone who has symptoms of Covid-19 or is a contact of someone with Covid-19 should not come to their appointment and should reschedule by contacting the number on their appointment letter.

“The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.

Yesterday Saolta also confirmed:  

 "The hospital is also dealing with a significant increase in Covid-19 presentations and admissions. There are currently 13 Covid positive patients being treated at LUH with four wards in outbreak. Visiting the outbreak wards is restricted to compassionate grounds, on an exceptional basis only.

Meanwhile the INMO say that 44 patients were waiting on trolley beds on Monday morning at SUH. The figure stood at 42 this morning.