Mid-West health services 'under collapse'
File And From Limerick, Irish Nurses Midwives In Figures The Eight For Six Waiting 90 On A People Separate Monday Were Nenagh, And In Ennis In Show Picture Bed Organisation
Health services in the Mid-West are “under collapse”, a local politician has warned, as hospitals in the region see patient numbers spike higher than pre-pandemic levels.
On Monday last week, University Hospital Limerick's emergency department treated 270 patients, with 248 patients seen on Tuesday, and 235 on Wednesday.
This comes against a backdrop of an overcrowding crisis in all hospitals, with 709 patients across the country waiting for a bed yesterday.
In an update for Mid-West politicians this week, UL Hospital Group chief executive Colette Cowan said: “These numbers are far in excess of pre-pandemic daily average attendances (195 in 2019), and come at a time when all hospitals in the group, not just UHL, are caring for high numbers of inpatients, many of whom are very sick with complex conditions.”
Measures to address overcrowding remain in place, but Ms Cowan said there has been some cancellation of “less urgent day cases” in Ennis and elsewhere.
“This tension between scheduled and unscheduled care is exacerbated by the shortage of bed capacity in the region and further highlights the importance of developing a surgical hub as soon as possible,” she said.
Reacting to the figures, Independent councillor for Nenagh Séamie Morris called for the HSE to support UHL with more beds and staff.
“It’s one ED serving around 400,000 people, “ he said. “Everything is supposed to be based on population, with matching funding based on population trends. We are in an emergency situation here.”
Separate figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show 90 people were waiting for a bed on Monday in Limerick, six in Nenagh, and eight in Ennis.
Among other seriously affected hospitals were Cork University Hospital (CUH), with 72 patients waiting, and the Mercy University Hospital, with 20 patients on trolleys.
INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said this reflects “yet another busy weekend across all hospital sites”.
“We have seen a pattern of extremely high levels of overcrowding following weekends — this cannot continue,” she said.
“The INMO is now requesting that the HSE immediately carry out a full review of weekend activity across all hospital sites and in the community sector.”
These pressures are not sustainable, she said.
Responding to the INMO call, a HSE spokeswoman said: "Alongside a review of capacity being conducted by the Department of Health, the HSE will bring forward, in 2023, a three-year unscheduled care improvement plan."
Meanwhile, a ballot of coronary care unit nurses for industrial action continues at CUH. This is linked to “significant” concerns around staff shortages in this unit, the INMO said.
The unit has the equivalent of 17.4 full-time staff, when they should have 24.5, said assistant director of industrial relations Colm Porter.
“That is the level you would need to provide safe care,” he said. “It is down quite a bit at the minute. That unit provides care for the more acutely unwell coronary patients, patients with heart failure or significant heart attacks.”
These nurses have a specialised skillset. “The unit is really surviving on the goodwill of the staff at the minute, they are working extra hours and doing overtime,” he said.
“We remain open to discussion about this matter at any stage.”
CUH was contacted for comment.