23 people waiting on trolleys in Drogheda Hospital amid national surge
Nationally there has been a surge in number of hospital patients on trolleys over the bank holiday weekend
23 people are waiting on trolley's in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda this morning amid a national surge in trolley numbers,
Nationally, over 600 people are waiting on trolleys in Irish hospitals after the bank holiday weekend.
683 admitted patients are waiting for a hospital bed this Tuesday, February 6, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “We are once again seeing another predictable post-bank holiday trolley surge in hospitals around the country.
“The level of overcrowding across hospital sites is incredibly dangerous. These types of post-bank holiday surges are not new.
“There is no point in the HSE issuing statements describing how bad the problem is, they should have been taking preventative measures in the week leading up to the bank holiday to ensure that we didn’t find ourselves in the position we are in today.”
Continuing by saying that the HSE "must outline" what steps it is taking to alleviate the pressure in our hospitals over the immediate and short-term, Ms Ní Sheaghdha said the focus for the St.Patrick’s Day and Easter bank holidays need to be considered too, as they will happen in "quick succession".
“It is clear that the system is now completely overwhelmed,” she said.
“We need targeted measures to tackle this crisis, particularly in the Mid-West, where overcrowding is completely out of hand.”