Mayo University Hospital among hospitals hit by rising patient overcrowding
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has reported that 628 admitted patients are awaiting a bed in hospitals across the country, with 421 patients waiting in the emergency department and 207 in wards elsewhere.
Overcrowding is on the rise again at Mayo University Hospital, with twenty admitted patients being treated on a trolley, chair, or in another inappropriate bed space today.
Newly released figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation state that of the twenty patients, nine are in the emergency department, with a further 11 in wards elsewhere.
Nationally, 628 admitted patients are awaiting a bed in hospitals across the country. Of these figures, 421 patients were awaiting a bed in the emergency department, while a further 207 were awaiting a bed in wards elsewhere.
Speaking on the newly released figures, INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha stated that the number of people on trolleys today is exceptionally high considering the time of year.
“It is clear from today’s figures that the level of overcrowding outside the emergency department in hospitals around the country is unmanageable, with over a third of patients admitted to hospital without a bed now being treated elsewhere in the hospital,” she stated.
She further stated that the aim must be to reduce the number of patients being treated on trolleys across the country.
“The HSE must outline precisely how it is going to radically reduce persistent and dangerous overcrowding across all regions. Our members are reporting that significant overcrowding, coupled with unmet recruitment and retention targets, is making it impossible to provide safe care to those who need it most.”