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LAST UPDATE | 6 Jan 2020
THE HSE HAS apologised to patients for the high level of overcrowding in A&E departments across the country as some hospitals have been forced to ban visitors from attending.
It said the flu season arrived up to four weeks earlier than last year and has lead to a “significant surge in patient demand”.
The current flu season, has led to the death of 22 people to date, 17 of those aged 65 years and older.
In a statement from the HSE this afternoon, it said: “[It] acknowledges that attendances in our hospital emergency departments are currently very high, and staff are working hard to cope with the increased demand for services.”
“We apologise to all of those affected by this surge in activity and we are making every effort to manage and improve the situation for our patients and our staff.
“Some of our hospitals have made the decision to restrict visiting in order to protect the safety of patients and visitors based on an assessment of risk.
“When there is a high level of circulation of infectious illnesses, such as flu, norovirus and RSV, the level of risk to patients and visitors is significant and all steps to minimise the possibility of exposure to these illnesses should be taken.”
In its apology, the HSE also reiterated its calls for members of the public to get the flu vaccine.
“We know this year’s vaccine is a good match for the current strain of flu and the best way to prevent flu is by getting vaccinated. Flu can be a very serious and sometimes deadly disease,” Assistant National Director of Public and Child Health, Dr Kevin Kelleher said.
Visiting
Visiting has been banned at University Hospital Limerick until further notice as the hospital continues to manage high volumes of patients with the flu, some of whom have been admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
“As flu can be carried in to the hospital, it is necessary with immediate effect to impose these strict visitor restrictions,” said a UHL spokesperson.
“We apologise for any inconvenience or anxiety the restrictions may cause patients and their loved ones. However, these measures are being taken in the interests of patient safety and we appeal to the public for their co-operation at this time.”
The visiting ban includes the Emergency Department at UHL with the exception of people visiting patients who are at end-of-life, critically ill and confused patients who may have dementia, for example. Parents visiting paediatric patients are also exempt.
Capacity
Taoiseach Leo varadkar commenting on the latest episode of the ongoing health crisis once again pointed to previous governments as the reason why there are not enough beds available, forcing patients onto trolleys.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said there were 760 patients waiting for admission to a bed today, a record figure which surpassed that of March 2018.
“We used to have 12,000 beds in our hospitals. Back in 2005, the previous government took the decision to reduce that to 10,000. Over the past couple of years we put an extra 1,000 beds in, but it’s still not enough,” Varadkar said.
“And then when there is a problem like flu it becomes very very severe like it is at the moment”. He said it won’t be resolved until an extra 2000 beds are added to the additional 1,000 already added to the system [and] “that takes time to do”.
There are currently 92 patients waiting on trolleys in UHL today, which is the worst figure for a single hospital since the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation first started compiling their statistics well over a decade ago.
UHL has urged the public to keep the emergency department for emergencies only and to “first consider all the care options available to them in their own communities”.
A ward at St John’s hospital has been made available to accommodate some of UHL’s flu patients. There are currently 28 in-patients with flu in UHL and “demand is high for beds for patients with specific infection prevention and control requirements.”
“The ED and the wider hospital are exceptionally busy at present and admitted patients are facing excessive wait times for a bed. Over the weekend, we saw a marked increase in the number of over-75s presenting and requiring admission to hospital,” a spokesperson said.
We regret that any patient, especially the elderly, has to wait on a trolley for admission. This is not the level of service we wish to provide but we want to reassure the public that every effort is made to move patients to a bed as soon as possible and that they continue to receive expert medical care while they wait.
Cork University Hospital, Mercy University Hospital, Mallow General Hospital, University Hospital Waterford and South Tipperary General Hospital have also imposed strict visiting restrictions to try and prevent the flu spreading.
Hospital management at these facilities are appealing to adults and children who are experiencing flu symptoms to contact a GP/Southdoc in the first instance rather than the emergency department.
‘Treat yourself at home’
Hospitals in Dublin restricted visitors over the weekend as they continue to deal with high numbers of flu patients.
A UHL spokesperson said that infection prevention and control measures are in place and every effort is being made to manage and contain the spread of the flu, “however such is the volume of patients with flu and flu-like symptoms, we are cohorting these patients where no isolation facilities are available.”
“The predominant strain is influenza A. A small number of patients have become seriously ill, including some who have required treatment in the intensive care unit.”
“This demonstrates how serious flu can be and we are encouraging members of the public, especially those in at-risk groups, to get the flu vaccine if they have not already done so.”
People with flu-like symptoms have been advised to contact their GP by phone and avoid presenting at the Emergency Department at UHL.
This peak in flu activity coincides with what is traditionally a busy New Year period in our hospitals. UHL has been experiencing a high number of patients attending the ED in recent days. We have admitted a lot of seriously ill patients , many of who remain in the ED awaiting a bed.
Minister of Health Simon Harris said that in some cases of flu, the patient will be able to effectively treat themselves at home, and it’s best to visit UnderTheWeather.ie before attending your GP or, if needed, an ED.
- With reporting from Conor McCrave, Orla Dwyer and David Raleigh.
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Back in the day hospitals had an almost reverential atmosphere. Visiting time and numbers were strictly adhered to. This, of course, made cleaning and disease control more manageable.
Now, if Paddy is in to have his hip replaced the entire parish feel obliged to drop in to talk shite and leave him without rest and more prone to infection.
Don’t just keep away now, just keep away always. Paddy will be out in a few days and might welcome a hand in the house or help with the shopping.
Hail our amazing hospital staff – you deserve much better.
@Etherman: Hospital Patients Charter published in about 1995 destroyed the integrity of visiting policies and made them all but enforceable. The self righteous attitude of people visiting hospitals is unbelievable unti you come face to face with it.
@Paul Murphy: people think that because the nurses don’t say anything to them, that they can stay as long as they want. My father in law was in hospital in Waterford a few months ago and there was an announcement before the end of visiting time to tell ppl to leave. Proper order.
@Nicola Long: Not so much of a problem during visiting hours…people turning up outside of visiting hours being the problem. I work in one of the hospitals affected and have to deal with visitors overstaying their welcome. It’s not cut and dried about banning visitors as consideration has to be given to families who help feed their relatives and end of life patients
They should ban patients too. 92 on trolleys there today. They’ve broke their own record of 82. The government saw fit to close Nenagh and Ennis A&E’s to save money and they can waste over 2 Billion on a hospital in the wrong area. What a great idea.
@Niall Mullane: closing Ennis & Nenagh was one if the silliest ideas ever. Hopefully all in Clare, Tipperary and Limerick will remember this at the polling stations.
@Eric McTible: I certainly will remember come election time. This is the exact reason why limerick is overcrowded for years. The nearest full time A&E’s are cork and Galway. Catchment area way too big. Government overspending on so many different nonsensical meaningless things like it’s going out of fashion. Time for change.
Can our minister for health not come up with an abortion story for the press so he can come out strongly about it and deflect away from the real issues
@Eamonn O Connell: or just do his job and sort out the staffing shortages
@Sarah Connor: he cannot do his job Sarah that’s why he needs to deflect
Year after year this happens and the excuses just keep on coming.
Was the little pipsqueek outraged by this, I wonder?
St Luke’s in kilkenny is fully closed down
This many “accident” and “emergency” cases requiring hospital all on the one Monday morning in every single part of the country – not last Monday morning – not yesterday morning – genuine accident and emergency cases being affected by people who clearly do not need to be there – as in they were managing yesterday & over their Christmas holidays without presenting at A&E – they’re just as much to blame as the politicians and hse management
@The Mrs O’B: It’s frustrating when things get like this in hospitals :/
When I broke my wrist a few years ago, I was turned away from 3 A&E departments, because they were so full. Ended up going to a minor injury clinic some random person told me about – I’d never heard of it before. Glad I learned about it, though. It was definitely the right place for me that day.
Absolutely disgracefull
@Marianne: Why is it disgraceful? Everyone comes on here boasting about the low corporation tax rate. Put it up by 3 or 4% and use that money to treat the poor. Foreign company’s making fortunes or a half decent Public Health Service. A straight choice.
@james dimaggio: We spend more money on the healthcare that most other EU countries. Mismanagement of resources, poor long term planning and lack of accountability are the issues, not money.
@Damon16: exactly. I couldn’t have said it better
@Damon16: Precisely!
And they keep apologizing but results are almost zero.
And it seems simple. Investigate in each hospital where the money is going.
@Hans Vos: they have increased hiring new HSE management every week on six figure salaries +150% more new managers in past 3 years – costs millions more euro – and where is the improvement in management ? improvement in performance ? Wouldnt be accepted in any normal organisation. Excuses year after year – a trolley ‘crisis’ for over a decade – we are a disgraceful country
Varadkar who was a do nothing health Minister himself is more concerned with commemorating a discredited police force of a century ago. The waste of space college drop out never had a real job Harris trundles on with increasing incompetance.
FF er Martin also a failed Minister for health is in the wings. Plus the shinners with a disastrous record in the north on health and homelessness panting for a coalition.
Who to vote for?
Same excuse used every time by Leo it’s the flu and it came early……and it was down to decisions made in 2002. Fk sake it’s 2020 u have been in power since 2011 you were even minister for health and that was a spectacular failure and that’s saying something considering you’re doctor and James Reilly was worse minister for health until you took on role.then you blamed him for your failures as health minister… let’s call a spade a spade you continue to shovel never ending funds to pay layers and layers of middle managers whose roles are obsolete.every non essential service should be outsourced to private sector and middle managers not deemed critical made redundant just as happens in private sector….
the HSE knows how to apologise. that’s about it
Private health is the way to go now
@sam: private health wont make a blind bit of difference if you are in A&E. You will be treated based on a triage of your condition not wealth.
@LittleBee: Because I have VHI I was instantly brought to a private ward last time I got sick. Couldn’t fault the system in any way. Everyone should get health insurance. Ireland is too poor and small to provide free health cars that actually works.
@james dimaggio: were neither too poor nor too small to do that. Too used to re-electin the same self-serving incompetent numpties? Too resistant to even beneficial change? Too short of memory? Yup but not too poor or too small.
@james dimaggio: ever hear of a country called the USA? They have a great healthcare system dont they?
@Mark O Brien: yea for the weslthy
If the public have been told not to visit, they should stay away and not turn up anyway and abuse security guards, as has been happening every day in UHW.
Stupid excuses coming from people too highly paid and are unfit for office, tell the truth and the public will respect it,government policy is the reason.
A bloody sales pitch for the flu vaccine
Is there any truth in the rumour that you can visit a hospital as long as you bring a trolley with you.
I’m raging here that the main Limerick hospital can resort to asking sick people to consider the other options of care in their communities. I hope there are plenty of those.
What a fine collection of jargon in this article. So the government are blaming Flu’, Fianna Fáil, norovirus and RSV now for a shortage of two thousand hospital places. Again!
To save you all Googling it, RSV = Respiratory syncytial virus.
Would anyone know what “cohorting patients” means in practice? Segregating, handing out face masks, or what?
have your say