A&E overcrowding situation worsens at Mayo General Hospital

A&E overcrowding continues to worsen


Rowan Gallagher

MAYO General Hospital over- crowding was almost twice as bad in August this year when compared to the same period last year, with just under double the amount of people waiting on trolleys.
After a progressive fall from 2006 to 2008 there has been a year-on-year doubling of the number of patients left on trolleys in Mayo General Hospital. according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
In August 2009 there were just 64 people waiting on trolleys but in the same period this year there were 126 people left on trolleys in Mayo General Hospital.
The INMO carried out an analysis of its trolley watch figures for the month of August 2010 and compared it with the same period for 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
The analysis showed an increase of 53 per cent in the number of patients lying on trolleys awaiting an in-patient bed in 2010 compared to 2007 nationally, when the cutbacks commenced. 
4,924 patients spent time on trolleys during August 2010, an increase of almost 1,000 people.
The Minister for Health, Mary Harney declared the A&E crisis a ‘national emergency’ in 2006, however since that declaration the trolley count has increased by 33 per cent in August 2010 as compared to 2006.
Speaking last week, INMO General Secretary, Liam Doran stated that it was ‘unbelievable’ that the HSE would waste money on legal staff while patients suffered.
“It is incredible that the HSE can justify spending €20m on external legal advisers, despite having its own legal office, at a time when the health services are on a downward spiral as beds are closing, staff are not being replaced and patients are continuing to suffer long waits on trolleys every day of the year.
“These patients are somebody’s mother, father, son, daughter, grandparents to whom basic health services are being denied. One would hope that the current round of ‘think ins’ by political parties would include the health of the nation as a top priority,” he said.
Mr Doran went on further to say that the figures tell the story of the families affected and called on the HSE to ensure that patients on trolleys is cut to a minimum.