Health Minister says more weekend staff needed at Mayo University Hospital

In a visit to Mayo Univerity Hospital, the minister moved to address swelling figures at the hospital, which recorded its highest-ever total of patients on trolleys for the month of January. 

Minister Carroll MacNeill made the address to the media at the door of the hospital’s emergency department where, at the time, 34 patients were on trolleys waiting to be seen by medical teams.

During the visit, she mooted the idea of increasing weekend staff in order to stem the tide.

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“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.”

The Fine Gael TD’s visit to the hospital comes in the wake of a new record month for the hospital, in which a staggering 439 patients were treated without a bed in January.

According to Minister Carroll MacNeill, who was accompanied by local Minister of State Alan Dillon, getting a scale of issues on the ground at this time was imperative.

“I quite particularly wanted to come to the Emergency Department when it was at its busiest.

“This weekend is a very significant one with flu season and a bank holiday weekend.

“I’m here on a difficult day.  What’s the point of turning up when things are good?”

Issues surrounding the hospital’s response to Storm Éowyn were also discussed. Specifically, the water shortages in the hospital due to power outages at Lough Mask’s treatment plant in Tourmikeady.

According to Minister Alan Dillon, this was a particular point of concern and an area where improvements were essential.

“Listening to the Facilities Manager here today, he was talking about the significance in having interruptions in the water when the water treatment plant in Lough Mask went down to try and ensure we build resilience into our networks.”

His remarks were echoed by Minister Carroll-McNeill. 

“While there had been investment in generators at the hospital, the generators for the water systems was a point of weakness and that has to be resolved.”