A Clare County Councillor has described as "ironic" the fact that on the day the Health Minister is announcing new patient safety measures, chronic overcrowding continues to be an issue at the region's main hospital.
It comes as UL Hospitals Group has apologised to patients waiting for long periods of time, saying that transfers to Ennis and Nenagh have greatly reduced the high trolley numbers experienced over the past two days.
UL Hospitals Group has apologised to patients waiting lengthy periods in the emergency department following a significant spike in trolley numbers over the past two days.
It says the older age profile of patients presenting with a complexity of issues, coupled with the closure of an inpatient ward to bring it in line with HIQA standards, is behind the increased pressure within the ED.
In a statment, it says delivery of the best possible care remains a priority and that staff are working hard to ensure the optimum care and safety of all patients during this period.
UL Hospitals Group says transfers to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s as well as extra ward rounds have significantly reduced trolley numbers over the last 24 hours, with nine patients waiting for a bed at the Dooradoyle facility this morning.
Clare County Councillor Ann Norton, who is a member of the HSE's Regional Health Forum West, has described the overcrowding issue as "ironic", on the day the Health Minister announced new patient safety measures.
The Barefield Councillor says that asking people who are genuinely sick to remain patient makes absolutely no sense.
Announcing a new suite of measures aimed at increasing patient safety, the Health Minister says the country's health system is behind the curve when compared with other countries.
Leo Varadkar's plan includes a new support service, an advisory council and an annual patient survey.
Minister Varadkar says that we need to catch up with other countries in the quality of our health service.
But Councillor Ann Norton is now calling on Leo Varadkar to "wake up, stop the spin and put a proper plan in place" to deal with the crisis.
