Letterkenny University Hospital has had 617 patients on trolleys in October

Letterkenny University Hospital has had 617 patients without a hospital bed this month.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation Trolleywatch figures, the 10,679 people left on trolleys make it the second highest October on record, which led the INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha to say the current figures are “unsustainable” for staff.

Over 393 children under the age of sixteen were on trolleys in the month of October. The worst month for paediatric overcrowding on record. From the 25 hospitals around the county, Letterkenny’s figures are the sixth highest.

Cork University Hospital has had 1,342 patients without beds this month, University Hospital Limerick has 1,268 patients, University Hospital Galway 810, St James’s Hospital 702 and Sligo University Hospital 700. 

 “We are now in a situation that unless we see meaningful interventions from the HSE and Government, we are going to be in a perilous state this winter in our hospitals,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha. “We have seen three instances of over 600 people on trolleys in the past week alone. This is not sustainable for nurses, midwives and other patient-facing staff.

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Noel Daly, CEO of North West Simon Community, says that his "focus all year should have been on developing new services across the region, but instead it was predominantly on securing funds to keep our services operating"

“Over 393 children went without a bed this month. Our members in paediatric hospitals are reporting that not only are we seeing more and more children presenting, but there are also less staff to deal with the demand. The safe staffing levels in one Dublin paediatric hospital are half of what they should be. This cannot continue further into the winter. 

“Unsafe staffing levels are going to be a feature of this winter unless we see targeted recruitment and retention plans in each hospital to allow for more nurses and midwives to be recruited at the pace in which we need them, Directors of Nursing and Midwifery in each hospital should have a greater role in recruitment.  

“The Department of Health and HSE must come forward and state when exactly capacity will be utilised from the private sector. All capacity that is available to the State at this point must be made available until at least March. Our members and the patients they will be caring for must be assured that all beds that can be used, will be.  We urgently need access to private hospital resources, increased staffing and a detailed timeline for the winter plan."