University Hospital Limerick remained by far the most overcrowded in the country this month, despite the cancellation of elective procedures.
The latest monthly analysis from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation shows more than 1,200 patients were left waiting for a bed at the region’s main hospital in August.
Outpatient appointments and elective day surgeries at the UL Hospital Group’s five Midwest facilities were deferred for three weeks this month as part of an escalation plan to alleviate overcrowding at UHL.
And while trolley numbers dropped significantly during that time, figures have this week been slowly creeping back up following the resumption of care, with 52 patients waiting for beds there this morning.
That’s according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which counts the number of patients waiting on trollies or chairs in EDs during their morning rounds.
The union’s latest analysis, published today, shows 1,215 patients were left waiting for beds at UHL across the month of August, representing a 35% reduction on the same month last year.
It’s still 368 more than the next busiest hospital; Cork University Hospital, though, and 467 more than Galway University Hospital.
Ennis General Hospital, meanwhile, saw a significant increase in trolley numbers over the course of the month, with 151 admitted patients waiting for a bed, up from 28 in the same month last year.
The INMO says while figures nationally are lower than last year, a number of hospitals, including Ennis, have seen significant increases in trolley numbers.
The nurses’ union is now calling for an urgent meeting of the ED Taskforce to look at the current situation and review lessons learned ahead of the predicted winter surges.
