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THE NUMBERS OF patients on trolleys has almost doubled this October when compared to the same time period in 2020, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has claimed.
The INMO runs a monthly Trolleywatch and covers every hospital in the country.
The group said today that they have seen more patients on trolleys this October in all of three of the children’s hospitals than any other October.
Their figures show that there five times as many children on trolleys compared to October 2020.
Nineteen hospitals have seen their trolley figures double compared to October 2020. We have also seen record overcrowding for the month of October in Letterkenny University Hospital, University Hospital Kerry, Mayo University Hospital and Mercy University Hospital, the research found.
Action needed
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said that action needs to be urgently taken to deal with the burgeoning crisis.
“These figures come in the backdrop of rapidly increasing COVID cases, increased hospitalisations and an increased number of nurses and midwives becoming infected with COVID-19.
“We urgently need to see action on ensuring that patient-facing healthcare workers have every protection possible to keep them safe as infection numbers are reaching the high numbers we saw earlier this year. We must see a recommendation from NIAC tomorrow on extending the vaccine booster to healthcare workers,” she said.
Ní Sheaghdha said there is particular concern in St Vincent’s University Hospital, University Hospital Tipperary, University Hospital Galway and Ennis Hospital which has seen their trolley numbers increase ten-fold compared to last year.
“Overall, we have seen 54,456 people on trolleys so far this year compared to 45,038 people on trolleys in the same time period in 2020. This rapid rise in trolley numbers is of grave concern to the INMO,” she added.
The hospitals with the highest numbers for the month were University Hospital Limerick on 1,369, University Hospital Letterkenny with 943, University Hospital Galway on 829 and University Hospital Cork on 688.
Crisis
Ní Sheaghdha said that such overcrowding in hospitals would not be tolerated during the beginning of the Coronavirus crisis.
“At the start of the pandemic, the HSE said there would be zero tolerance of overcrowding. Our hospitals are no longer just full, they are overcrowded and we have not seen any detailed plan from the HSE in terms of winter planning.
“Winter is no longer a time coming down the tracks, it is already here. We are calling on the HSE and Minister Donnelly to outline in detail this week what exactly they are planning for the months ahead and what capacity will be made available from the private sector.
“If the HSE is planning to cancel electives then this decision needs to be taken now, not when the crisis is unmanageable,” she added.
Ní Sheaghdha said there needs to be funding made available to implement the Safe-Staffing Framework, which determines the safe levels of nurse-to-patient ratio.
“Just like we have a pupil-teacher ratio that advises on the optimum number of children in a classroom to one teacher. We are hearing examples in our hospitals of one nurse to fifteen patients in a ward. This is not a safe environment for the nurse or patients.
“We know that is going to be a difficult period ahead for patient-facing staff. We cannot allow a situation where we have a repeat of trolley numbers that we saw in 2019.
“Trolley numbers cannot be allowed to continue to rise when we are still trying to contend with COVID-19 and all the implications it has on nurses and midwives. The HSE must take immediate action,” she added.
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Now Mr Pringle,
Can you get back to focussing on why you were elected and stop using your time to take spurious legal cases
You have an objection to someone testing a treaty before the courts? A case that the Irish Supreme Court agreed should be sent to Europe? Maybe we should just ban the right of Irish citizens to access the courts.
Well Kerry, I hope he pays the costs and not ourselves, I do love how the likes of Pringle is outraged at having to pay “bankers debts” then happily expects us to bankroll his court challenges like this.
the likes of Pringle is outraged at having to pay âbankers debtsâ
And hopefully not at our cost.
Laura I’m outraged to be paying the bankers costs as a tax payer. I’ve not objection in an Irish citizen questioning a treaty if they are concerned about it. His questions by the way were validated by the Irish courts referring it to Europe. Europe took the question so seriously 27 judges reviewed the oral submissions. Do you think the right of an Irish citizen to take a court case should be removed? Because that is what you are saying.
@Kerry it was referred there not because the supreme court thought his case had merit, but because it wasn’t legally competent to interpret EU in this scenario. They did not in any way endorse his argument in doing so.
There was nothing democratic in his actions: the treaty was approved by referendum here. This was just a pathetic attempt to circumvent that decision.
He better be footing the bill for this.
European Court supports European Institution …
Gosh! What a shocker.
end of story.
respect to thomas pringle for taking the time and effort to make sure it was at it should be.some of ye think that it’s ok to take every thing that comes from above unquestioned so If we left it up to ye we would be back in the dark ages where the church and landed gentry ruled the people and if some one hadnt challenged that system it would still be dominate. Wake up will ye to whats going on around ye and it is ok to challenge authority and if thomas pringle has the time and where with all to take on this particular issue on our behalf then fair play to him.
It was questioned. We called it a referendum.
And it was approved. If the treaty had violated EU, perhaps it would have occured to someone to just change it? They didn’t because it didn’t.
Ger there was no referendum on the ESM treaty. There was one on a different treaty called the Fiscal treaty. For more on each of the two treaties and how they relate – http://www.taleoftwotreaties.tumblr.com
Mr pringle can do what he likes but its us. that will be paying for this court case. and it won’t be cheap
Petr
Enjoying freeloading yourself?
Garry,
Too stupid to reply to the correct comment?
Paying a relativity small legal bill compared to the financial rape payments to Bankers is to be welcomed. There will always be people who say we shouldn’t question authority. They’re the type that would send their kids to war on behalf of Goldman and co.
Thanks Pringle. At least you tried. Respect.
Don’t try to treat us as fools. The bill will run to millions of Euro for a bit of publicity ad self aggrandizement .
Millions of euro’s Garry? If you read the article you might see it was a oral hearing nothing more. Less of the exaggeration please. Amazing the people who seem to have a problem with someone exercising their democratic right to contest something in the courts. Even more frightening is the amount of people who seem to disagree with the Irish courts opting to refer the case to Europe for final judgement.
Hear hear – Ireland is committed to give at least 11billion to this fund..which may not be used to help with Ireland’s debt! Thank you Pringle.
On the Goldman (and a festive) note – this video is quite relevant here I think, in a case about setting up an institution to save banks! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HwH7DmSvH1c
So who pays for this legal argument?? Will pringle pay himself or will it be the Irish taxpayer again? I reckon the latter
pringle gets the headlines we get the bill
Once he pops, he just can’t stop. He’d challenge a traffic light…
Since Pringle brought this challenge, of course he should pay…..The ESM was already challenged in Germany, so why did he think his challenge would get the ECF, to reverse there decision in his favour…If the Supreme court here wants to challenge the ECF on matters let them…….He should pay, end of story, did he think it would be for free…
To Pringle – HA!
I’m not sure why we the Irish government or taxpayers would have to pay this. They didn’t initiate the action, nor did they support it. It was a case taken by Pringle himself. The High Court and Supreme Court in Ireland didn’t rule in his favour either.
Jim
You’re perfectly correct. These guys believe that the State awaits their pleasure and are dangerous enough to massively misuse funds at the State’s expense to push their own agenda or self aggrandisement. The Courts should apportion full costs against him
Jim the courts in Ireland referred the case to Europe because they could not answer it. Imagine that 1 person got the attention of 27 judges. Maybe Pringle should replace Enda at least he would get a bit more attention from Europe.
Misread headline as “ESM is awful”!
what’s with ye olde englishe
have your say