A TOTAL of 146 patients
were treated on trolleys while awaiting a bed at
Letterkenny General Hospital in the first three
months of this year, latest figures show.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO)
league table also shows that trolley waits at the
local acute hospital have fallen dramatically since
2006 and 2007.
There were 864 patients were on trolleys in the
first quarter of 2006 with 995 on trolleys in the
first quarter of 2007.
There was a dramatical drop in 2008 (119 patients on
trolleys) and again in 2009 (94). However, the
figure rose again last year with 173 patients
treated on trolleys in the first three months.
The INMO said a record of almost 25,000 people were
on trolleys, awaiting a bed, in the country’s A&E
departments in the first quarter of this year.
It said the statistics confirmed that the crisis
"continues to worsen despite all of the repeated
commitments, by Government and management, that this
issue will be addressed".
The INMO said its trolley watch figures have been
taken in the same manner, every week day, since
2004.
"We view the 8am count as the most critical and we
stand over all of the figures that we have
highlighted over this period. We will continue to do
our count, each morning, and to publish them as we
have done since 2004," said a spokesperson.
INMO general secretary Liam Doran added: “This
quarterly survey only reaffirms the need for
immediate, effective and sustained measures to be
introduced, which must include additional bed
capacity, in order to alleviate this problem.
"We are awaiting an early meeting with the Minister
to discuss this and other issues. We also await
learning of what initiatives he intends to introduce
to ensure that patients are always treated in a safe
environment which allows them dignity and privacy
and enables frontline professionals to provide all
the care they require in the appropriate place,"
added Mr Doran. Meanwhile, the survey showed there
were two people treated on trolleys in Letterkenny
on Monday with no patients on trolleys yesterday. |
