Surge in ‘trolley watch’ figures for Mayo University Hospital

The latest batch of ‘Trolley Watch’ figures has shown a significant hike in those waiting on trollies in Mayo University Hospital.

The figures, released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation today (Wednesday, May 7), show a sharp rise from those just 24 hours before.

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Yesterday, the number of patients on trollies in the Castlebar facility’s Emergency Department was down to one. Now, it is up at seven.

The figure for those waiting on trollies in wards elsewhere in the hospital has also grown to 16 from 14, meaning that the overall total has risen by eight to 23.

Mayo University Hospital now ranks seventh in the table for the highest number of people on trollies, up a place from where they were 24 hours prior.

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The subject of overcrowding is likely to be one of the motions on the floor at the INMO’s Annual Delegate Conference in Wexford, which starts today.

Among those in attendance will be the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll-MacNeill.

During a visit to MUH earlier in the year, the Minister mooted the notion of increasing weekend staff in order to stem the tide.

“People get better on Sundays just as they get better on Thursdays,” she said.  “The team has to be there to be able to discharge them, making sure that we’ve the likes of physios over the weekend as much as they are there during the week.”