Candlelit vigil in memory of patients as hospital overcrowding spirals

There were 1,034 patients with the flu across all hospitals on Thursday in a sharp rise from 632 last Thursday and up by 33 from Wednesday, the HSE said. Cases are "increasing daily" it warned. 

The rising pressures left almost 600 patients without a bed across all hospitals.

Patients in Cork and Limerick faced the highest levels of overcrowding. 

Some 95 patients at UHL were unable to get a bed and 65 at Cork University Hospital, figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show.

Overall, its count shows 571 patients on trolleys or chairs while they waited for a hospital bed to become available.

The pressures were clear in separate HSE data which shows 87 people were waiting longer than 24 hours by Thursday morning. Shockingly, this group includes 11 people aged 75 or older.

The Midwest Hospital Campaign will hold its annual vigil on Saturday afternoon at noon, meeting outside the main gates of UHL.

“We will take the time to remember all those who have been lost due to the chronic overcrowding crisis in the Midwest,” a spokeswoman said.

She warned that overcrowding being seen already this holiday season is “unacceptable”, despite efforts by the hospital to reduce numbers.

Dr Denis McCauley, Irish Medical Organisation president and a GP in Donegal, questioned why the predictable flu surge is once again causing pressures. 

“The entire system of GP and hospital health services should not come to a crisis point because of a predictable jump in illness from something like a seasonal flu,” he said on Thursday.

We are pushing our health services too hard for too much of the year and there is no spare capacity to cope with something like a flu outbreak.

Every year during these weeks, hospitals either cancel elective operations or do not schedule a full workload, to allow for the overspill of emergency patients.

However, he warned: “The practice of cancelling elective surgeries every January is simply not good enough for patients now.

“We must plan and fund what is required to meet the health needs of our patients and that means ensuring there are enough beds, enough doctors, and enough healthcare professionals to be able to treat patients in a safe and timely manner."

The union called on the incoming Government to take note of this crisis.

“For years we have tolerated huge numbers of patients on trolleys, work environments for doctors that are full of risk for them and their patients, too few doctors, and increasing waiting lists across key specialties. This is unacceptable and cannot continue,” said Dr McCauley.

The IMO echoed calls from other health unions in recent weeks for the HSE’s staff policy — the pay and number strategy — to be reversed.

In relation to controlling the flu, the HSE asked people to continue taking precautions. 

This includes staying at home when ill. 

"If you need care, visit your pharmacy, GP, or family doctor, GP Out of Hours, or an injury unit for non-serious issues like fractures or burns. If there are visiting restrictions in hospitals due to flu or other infections, please cooperate with staff. You may be required to wear a face covering when attending or visiting," a spokeswoman said. 

"Also, remember to wash your hands and cover your coughs and sneezes. If you're having trouble breathing or feel chest pain, go to the emergency department or call 112 or 999."