23 people are waiting for a bed at St Luke’s General Hospital today.
The Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation’s (INMO) daily Trolleywatch shows 18 are in the local emergency department with five on other wards.
They’re among 640 patients waiting at hospitals across the country today – in response to that INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha says; “As predicted by the INMO, trolley numbers have been very high over the last few days leading to overcrowding records being broken in Cork University Hospital (94 patients on trolleys today) and University Hospital Limerick (132 patients yesterday). This is leading to very dangerous situations for patients and nurses who are trying their best to provide safe care.
“We are calling for the immediate cessation of all non-urgent elective procedures. We know anecdotally from our members that some hospitals are still allowing procedures to be carried out despite huge numbers of patients on trolleys in hospitals. This is not acceptable.
“Hospitals must now make it their focus to de-escalate the number of patients being admitted on trolleys. The aim has to be to reduce the number of patients on trolleys across the hospital. We are seeing a worrying increase in the number of patients on trolleys across wards.
“Patient and nurse safety and wellbeing must be a priority”
It’s as visitor restrictions remain in place at St Luke’s.
