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‘Beyond unsustainable’: record numbers on trolleys amid deepening staffing crisis
The worst affected hospitals in September were: • University Hospital Limerick – 1,405 patients • Cork University Hospital – 936 patients • University Hospital Galway – 884 patients • University Hospital Waterford – 707 patients • Mater Misericordiae Univer- sity Hospital – 639 patients. INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “These are
simply astonishing figures – especially outside of the winter months. It’s placing a massive strain on our members on the frontline and is seriously wors- ening patient care. “We have now seen 80 con- secutive days where the trolley figures are higher than 2018 – often by as much as 50%. This is equivalent to the bed capac- ity of Beaumont Hospital 15 times over. “This is absolutely beyond
unsustainable. At the root of the problem is capacity. We need more hospital beds and more nurses and midwives to staff them. The HSE’s disas- trous recruitment pause quite simply has to go. “Ireland needs to reform its health service and Sláintecare is the clear path forward. But it needs to be more than reports and press conferences. It takes real investment and a major shift towards primary care.”
September was the worst month of 2019 so far for hospi- tal overcrowding, with 10,641 admitted patients, including 101 children, left without beds across the country. According to the monthly INMO trolley and ward watch analysis (see below) , the fig- ures for September were the highest they have been since records began in 2006, and twice as high as the same month 10 years ago.
Table 1. INMO trolley andwardwatch analysis (September 2006 – 2019)
Sept 2006
Sept 2007
Sept 2008
Sept 2009
Sept 2010
Sept 2011
Sept 2012
Sept 2013
Sept 2014
Sept. 2015
Sept 2016
Sept 2017
Sept 2018
Sept 2019
Hospital
Beaumont Hospital
310 211 262
409 229 366
608 226 519 243 152 178 500 383
830 176 443 157 200 169 389 354
680 297 446 370 150 584 661 89
730 387 368 230 240 114 638 175
280 317 334 151 119
620 540 187 118 117 163 337 45
644 485 311 249 329 200 312 n/a
732 327 371 180 159 419 450 n/a
383 172 350 156 219 415 450 n/a
254 205 373 212 108 257 448 n/a
268 294 392 340 102 210 365 n/a
296 186 639 379 152 325 275 n/a
Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown
Mater Hospital
Naas General Hospital St Colmcille’s Hospital St James’s Hospital
85 32 22
17 29 39
84
St Vincent’s University Hospital
459 166
536 329
405
Tallaght Hospital
63 n/a n/a n/a
National Children’s Hospital,Tallaght Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin Temple Street Children’s University Hospital
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
n/a n/a n/a
3
4
29 27
38 59
Eastern total
1,547
1,954
2,809
2,718
3,277
2,882
1,753
2,127
2,530
2,638
2,145
1,857
2,030
2,353
Bantry General Hospital Cavan General Hospital Cork University Hospital
n/a 74
n/a
n/a 91
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
6
3
25 39
36 78
32 33
54
267 235
262 437
433 567
341 529
142 146
206 304 176
15
180 477 158 118 142 453 147 302 14 n/a n/a 606 210 107 278 514 138 784 257 n/a 33 36 n/a
246 936 615 110 300 232 104 286 n/a 32 n/a 75 72 87 n/a 185 396 639 406 884 283
229 281
275
326 130
441 263
628 459
781 502
Letterkenny General Hospital Louth County Hospital Mayo University Hospital Mercy University Hospital, Cork
34 n/a 72 71
16 n/a 28
33 24
49 n/a
25 n/a 45
28 n/a
19
n/a 57
n/a 64
n/a
n/a
n/a
202 107
114
147 195 116 24 56 10 n/a n/a 331
145 149 186 25 96 12 n/a n/a 626
206 220 380 216 411
132 215 383 222 445
114 137 353 178 461
113
90 31 n/a
185 275 254 113 n/a n/a 842 3
134 146
240 255
Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise Midland Regional Hospital,Tullamore Mid Western Regional Hospital, Ennis
22 38 n/a 43
4
18
24
6 8
79 13 n/a n/a
44
2 9 2
4
508 n/a n/a n/a 593
17 22 n/a 72 n/a 80 302
23 n/a n/a 323 169 105
16 n/a
8
24 n/a
n/a
Monaghan General Hospital Nenagh General Hospital
6
n/a
n/a
n/a
2
4
2
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda
349
116
214
507
134 243
134
Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan
40 21 50 79 34 n/a
47
7
75
8
57 36 n/a 45
26 49 n/a
49 98 n/a 51
57
Portiuncula Hospital
9
33
149
26 n/a
94 n/a
114
Roscommon County Hospital Sligo University Hospital South Tipperary General Hospital St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny University Hospital Galway University Hospital Kerry University Hospital Limerick University Hospital Waterford Wexford General Hospital
60 56 92 n/a
50 55 64 n/a
113 168
n/a
n/a
8
153 125
102 123
200
323 396 229 598 114 902 505
247 365
10 n/a
13 34
224 209 282
97
350 188 499 133 825 333 154
47
35
128 446
78
126 129 139
209
380
321
356
642
271
609 282 894 259 138
46
11 72 63 42
16
73
68
59
51
91
166
201
502 164 336
384
279 136
345 152
551
1,405
n/a
n/a 19
46
59
68
707 234
189
178
490
53
73
144
35
96
Country total
2,177 3,724
1,540 3,494
1,634 4,443
2,546 5,264
3,727 7,004
4,804 7,686
2,647 4,400
2,803 4,930
3,981 6,511
4,992 7,630
5,406 7,551
6,244 8,101
5,794 7,824
8,288
NATIONALTotal
10,641
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
69
101
Of which were under 16
Percentage increase/decrease: 2018 compared to 2019: 36% 2014 compared to 2019: 64% 2010 compared to 2019: 52% 2006 compared to 2019: 186% 2017 compared to 2019: 31% 2013 compared to 2019: 116% 2009 compared to 2019: 102% 2016 compared to 2019: 41% 2012 compared to 2019: 142% 2008 compared to 2019: 140% 2015 compared to 2019: 39% 2011 compared to 2019: 38% 2007 compared to 2019: 205%
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