Still 578 patients on hospital trolleys

Today's figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show there are still 578 people on trolleys in hospitals nationwide.  This is down slightly from 602 people yesterday and from the record high of 612 on Tuesday.

Locally, Sligo University Hospital is reporting 23 patients on trolleys,, Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar 22, Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe 4, and Cavan General Hospital 3.

Sinn Féin TD for Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal, Martin Kenny, said that government excuses only serve to make vulnerable people more anxious that the health service will let them down when they need it most.

"It is clear that Simon Harris has no plan A, never mind plan B or any strategy to deal with this crisis and reassure citizens and health service staff that hospitals will be provided with the resources to make them safe.

"Without a political commitment to public health and adequate investment this trolley crisis and other symptoms of a health service in chaos will continue."

Fianna Fáil TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has said that Minister Harris has failed miserably in his commitment to address the chronic overcrowding in our country’s Emergency Departments.

“We are now in the throes of the now traditional winter hospital crisis. Since September last year, it has been clear that not enough was being done to prepare the health system to deal with these extra patients.

“Every time anyone raised a concern, Minister Harris and his officials trumpeted the Winter Health Initiative, and the additional resources being allocated.

“Let’s call a spade a spade: the Winter Initiative has failed, and Minister Harris must now review what his Department and the HSE are doing to ensure that less, not more, patients are waiting on hospital trolleys for the rest of winter 2017."