Overcrowding figures at Limerick hospital a 'huge red flag'

IT HAS been recorded that 114 patients are waiting on trolleys this Monday at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). This figure, from Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) Trolley Watch, comes as the group describes the ongoing trolley crisis in national hospitals as "alarming". 

UHL recorded 2,174 patients without a bed in September, contributing to over 10,018 patients, 202 of them children, without beds nationally in September, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). 

So far in 2023, 2,523 children across the country, under the age of sixteen, have been treated on a trolley or chair. 

UHL had highest levels of overcrowding for September, INMO reveals

This situation has raised serious concerns about patient safety and has prompted a pressing call for a fundamental shift in mindset to address the persistent crisis.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha expressed grave concerns about the current state of healthcare, stating: "September has always been a reliable indicator of how the winter is going to look for healthcare staff, and the situation that our members are predicting based on these figures, as was the case in August, indicates a huge red flag."

Other heavily affected hospitals include Cork University Hospital (1,024 patients), Sligo University Hospital (775 patients), St. James' Hospital (532 patients), and University Hospital Galway (516 patients).

Ms Ní Sheaghdha stressed the gravity of the situation, particularly for children, stating: "The number of children on trolleys this September is also really alarming. Knowing what we do about how trolley waits negatively affect patient outcomes, and how rapidly children can decline when they are sick, the risks that children are being exposed to in our hospitals are too high."

The INMO is urgently calling for immediate action and a shift in mindset. Ms Ní Sheaghdha emphasised: "At this point of crisis in any other industry, a risk assessment would be carried out and risk mitigation measures put in place; this is even more necessary in the delivery of human healthcare services."

The INMO expressed dissatisfaction with the response from the Health Service Executive (HSE) following their recent engagement at the Emergency Department Taskforce meeting. They believe that the HSE is not willing to implement the necessary measures to address the crisis effectively.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha added: "Our members are very worried for themselves and the people in their care. Without real action, the State is basically just asking staff and patients to lower their expectations for their health service. We need risk reduction measures to be introduced now - not when it is too late and an inevitable adverse incident occurs.

"The current situation is not sustainable, and the impact on vulnerable people, including children, is not something the government should be prepared to accept."