Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THERE WERE MORE than 200 patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals across the country this morning.
The number is down from the more than 400 patients waiting for a bed yesterday morning, as hospitals work to free up beds in the run up to Christmas.
The highest number of patients on trolleys this morning was in University Hospital Limerick (49), followed by Portiuncula Hospital (18). According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), in total there were 217 patients on trolleys, with the majority (157) in Emergency Departments.
The hospitals with no patients on trolleys were:
In a message to INMO, Health Minister Simon Harris said he wanted to express his “gratitude and thanks” to all nurses and midwives working over the Christmas period.
“Their dedication and commitment is a source of national pride and something for which I am very grateful.”
The National Treatment Purchase Fund agreed to a request from Minister Harris to support costs of funding additional beds for three months, until the end of March 2020.
The Minister has said this initiative will help to alleviate winter pressures in the hospital system. Hospitals were invited to make submissions to utilise the fund and so far it has approved 172 additional beds. These additional beds will cost approximately €4.6 million.
“Given the challenges facing the Emergency Departments, with the exceptionally high use of trolleys for patients, I would urge all hospital groups and individual hospitals, which have not already done so, to engage with the NTPF to identify proposals to provide additional bed capacity for the winter period,” Harris said earlier this month.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Leo and Simon don’t care. They’re just worried about their turkey and their wallets
@Keith ☘️: unfortunately that seems to be the case once all td’s get elected it’s what they can get out of it not what can be done for the people
@Keith ☘️: and both are fat
@Keith ☘️: amazing how the numbers drop for Xmas.
@Keith ☘️: Don’t believe any politician when they say they can fix this problem.
@Keith ☘️:
Neither do you care. You will be doing the same thing tomorrow tucking into your Christmas dinner and yet you come on Social Media to accuse Leo and Simon of not caring.
@Fred the Muss: Do you believe anyone can fix it? I think it could be reduced, but fixed?
@Conall: Of course it can be fixed once you realise that money is not the issue. The vested interests need to be taken on and get their act together.
Unfortunately that includes “patients” who turn up at A&E with minor illnesses and injuries.
@Keith ☘️: you do know a trolley is a bed and that’s what they use in ED? Been in and out of ED a lot last few years with parents and I’d rather be there having the diagnostics done than be than sitting in the waiting room. The word trolley is now synonymous with something bad and disrespectful. At any given time there will always be quite a few people in ED.
@Keith ☘️: Why they should care about peole who neglecting their own healt? Obesity, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol, drug abuse etc. are main factors to bad health. I know, some peole have accidends, sure they have especially when they are under influence of alcohol or other drugs… Every day in hospitals some 1500 beds are taken by those who ruined their health with alcohol abuse… More unhealthy people to take hospitals beds in nearest future, because every third child in Ireland is overweight or obese. Children start taking alcohol at age as young as 12…
Peace and hope to these people. My mam spend months in hospital this year. It’s a huge struggle for the patient and family. She survived the cemo and is home for Christmas. Lets stop the blame game and reach a viable solution to the nightmare that is our health service. Merry Christmas to one and all.
@Greedylocks: As long as governments continue to promote and encourage for profit private health insurance they will keep running down our national health service, time for change.
@Still-Not-News: spot on totally agree
Has to be way more, at least 30 in a university hospital in South Dublin with patients in gowns sitting on waiting chairs in hallways no dignity
@Euro McPúnty: all about definitions, the logic probably being if your waiting in a chair then you are not on a trolley, and hence not part of the 200 or so. A better figure might be the number of patients without a bed, rather than numbers on trolleys
I know I’ll get flamed for this but back in 2008 I was in A&E trolley for 2 days before I was moved to a ward for a further 7 days. I didn’t complain about the 2 day wait, I was very grateful to be seen in hospital by world class doctors and nurses and only a small bill at the end. I totally get there is huge improvements needed but the constant negativity is draining. It’s no wonder moral is low when everyone slates your employer/ place of employment
@Louise Tracey: I don’t think anybody is blaming the staff at hospitals. Any that I have had to deal with in Irish hospital have been world class. The system is so poorly run from a management level that people are angry about the waste of tax payer money.
@Louise Tracey: I agree – the constant media negativity around our hospitals is disgraceful – especially on RTÉ. We had to use the hospital service a little while back and while there was an initial delay in getting a bed, the service provided thereafter was top class.
I think the media should also publish how many patients are put through A&E daily alongside those who remain on trolleys.
@Aidan: I get that but everyone here blames the government. Surely the change needs to happen within the hospital hierarchy rather than people shouting FF/FG out!
@offtheball: exactly! Maybe if people showed more support change would happen!
@Louise Tracey: you’re dead right. It’s an easy political target. It then filters down to people visiting the country. Our health service is extremely good!
There is also no talk of how many people go to hospital that don’t need to be there and block up the system.
It’s definitely not perfect but it’s also nowhere near as bad as is made out.
Patients are treated in order of severity hence people with minor injuries get left till last.
@joe: yes exactly, a few months ago I went up to A&E with 3 month old baby. Was triaged within 10 mins, saw doctor within 40 minutes. We waited a further 2 hours for a consultant but within 5 hours start to finish we were up in the ward surrounded by amazing doctors and nurses
@Louise Tracey: Closing Ennis and Nenagh wards in order to direct them all to Limerick (which then became the most overcrowded in the country) was a FG policy and nothing to do with hospital hierarchies.
@Louise Tracey: Ah here. Our health service is very much a third world service when you see the state of the conditions. Lots of great people working there but overall the service is not fit for purpose.
@Toon Army: have you even had to use the hospital services this year? I have and no way can you say it’s 3rd world. I was in CUMH for my pregnancy and delivery, I was given top class treatment and the facilities were very good. I was also in the Ladybird ward in CUH for 3 nights with my daughter and the treatment and facilities were excellent. We also have monthly visits to the Seahorse ward in CUH and again treatment and facilities are brilliant.
My experience seems very different to yours
@Toon Army: have you been to a hospital in the third world?
All Clare, Tipperary & Limerick voters please remember how our local TD’s are allowing people to suffer on trolleys and not just during Christmas but for months now. Treatment of sick people in our ER department in UL Hospital is deplorable, nurses and doctors would agree. These TD’s need to be reminded at the door and ballot boxes.
@Eric McTible: Do you think local TDs have much influence on this? In any event, decisions on the distribution of health services should not be left up to local TDs but on what is best for the public overall.
@Eric McTible: one tipperary td has fought to get better services for our hospitals for many years now – seamus healy – he is currently fighting to get mental health services brought back to south tipperary hospital as well as trying to get geriatric beds in cashel hospital – shame the other 3 are not doing more – besides patting themselves on the back !
@Eric Davies: Funny as Seamus was hospital manager at STGH and presided over people on trolleys and poor services..guilty conscience perhaps?
So a quarter of all people on hospital trolleys in Ireland is in UHL. It is consistently the worst in Ireland. How much longer will it take before they reopen Ennis and Nenagh?
Shocking, and what’s even more shocking, €16+ billion budget and we still have patients without beds. HSE monster just seems to gobble up what ever budget is fired at it.
@DERRY1973: too many pen pushers
@Eric Davies: Probably in the depths of the HSE but not in the hospitals. Clerical staff free up frontline workers to do their jobs.
Currently no patients on trolleys at MWRH Ennis? Maybe because they don’t have an A&E
Not to worry Leo probably in Iceland gettin his last few bits for Xmas.
More than nurses and midwives working in hospitals over the Christmas period.
Keep the Recovery going for whom???
Living in a gangster paradise..
Patient patients wait worriedly.
Health insurance should be compulsory. It’s that simple. Premiums would obviously be decided by a persons financial circumstances. In a caring society, the well off would pay higher premiums in order to offset the extra cost the less well off can’t afford.
The budget needs to go from €17.4B to €19B. An extra €1,600,000. That might give us the leverage to pay doctors & nurses enough to take up all the vacant positions in the HSE. It might give us the extra home care packages we need in order to support everyone that needs to be discharged from hospital in a timely fashion. Let’s get real. This all needs to be financed with higher taxation.
And Leo’s priority are to keep pubs and clubs open later for a late dance! What a man of power
have your say