Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds - Large numbers of patients on trolleys

[tetano]

511 hospital patients were treated on trolleys today. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation(INMO), that's the highest number ever.



The HSE has blamed a big increase in the number of swine flu cases.



The figure is the largest trolley wait number ever recorded by the INMO's 'Trolley Watch' which records on a daily basis the amount of patients on trolleys in the country's hospitals.



The last time the figure breached the 500 mark in 2006 Health Minister Mary Harney described the situation as a "national emergency".



Emergency medicine consultants have warned that with the effects of the H1N1 virus, junior doctor shortages and bed capacity issues beginning to bite, the situation could get worse in the coming weeks.

http://www.tv3.ie/article.php?locID=1.2.&article_id=50998

 

[Shiloh]

Number of patients on trolleys in A&E departments worst ever

Number of patients on trolleys in A&E departments worst ever

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0105/1224286779271.html

The Irish Times - Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Number of patients on trolleys in A&E departments worst ever
EITHNE DONNELLAN

SOME 511 patients were on trolleys in hospital emergency departments yesterday, the highest number ever recorded by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO)...

...The INMO said the very high numbers of patients on trolleys waiting for beds was primarily due to more than 1,000 acute hospital beds being closed.

The Health Service Executive (HSE), however, countered that emergency departments were ?busy? largely because of the increase in people suffering with swine flu and other seasonal illnesses. It urged the public to keep emergency departments for emergencies and to contact their GP or out-of-hours GP service...

 

[Tonka]

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 57 Deaths and 800+ Patients in intensive care (39 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 30 2010) due to influenza

Re: UK: Reports of Approximately 57 Deaths and 800+ Patients in intensive care (39 deaths confirmed by HPA as for Dec. 30 2010) due to influenza

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0105/1224286779271.html For more information

The Irish Times - Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Number of patients on trolleys in A&E departments worst ever

SOME 511 patients were on trolleys in hospital emergency departments yesterday, the highest number ever recorded by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

A number of hospitals have had to postpone elective surgery to get to grips with the overcrowding. When there were 495 patients on trolleys in March 2006, Minister for Health Mary Harney declared a national emergency and set up a taskforce to seek solutions....

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

Source: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/hospitals-swamped-by-record-number-of-patients-2483946.html

Hospitals swamped by record number of patients
By Eilish O'Regan Health Correspondent

Wednesday January 05 2011

HOSPITALS across the country have been swamped with record-breaking numbers of seriously ill patients, with hundreds forced to languish on trolleys in corridors and waiting areas.

Last night medical staff struggled to treat the 511 who were waiting in A&E departments across the country, the highest number ever recorded...

...Children's hospitals have been under particular pressure because the swine flu virus is hitting many under fives and other youngsters.

Dr McInerney said the one consolation was that the changeover of junior doctors -- which traditionally happened on January 1 -- has been put back until next Tuesday.

Several A&E departments are expecting a shortage of junior doctors and are bracing themselves for the "perfect storm" of lack of staff and another surge in ill patients in need of hospital care....

And some patients had to suffer the indignity of being treated in public areas and close to entrances to hospitals.

The spread of swine flu and other viruses -- coupled with the traditional reluctance of people with respiratory and other winter illnesses to go to hospital until after the festive season -- left many A&E units with serious overcrowding issues...

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

569 people on trolleys in Irish hospitals
Updated: 11:12, Wednesday, 5 January 2011

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said there are 569 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments, which is the highest number ever recorded in one day.

(Article Audio (1) 1 of 1 Trolleys - HSE says hospitals are being forced to defer planned operations Play)

Morning Ireland: Number of patients on trolleys hits record high
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said there are 569 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments, which is the highest number ever recorded in one day.

The worst affected hospitals are Cork University Hospital with 48 patients waiting, Beaumont Hospital has 45 patients on trolleys and the Mid West Regional Hospital in Limerick has 44 patients waiting.

Today's figures break yesterday's record of 511 patients on trolleys.
...
continues at; http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0105/health.html

 

[NS1]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels

569 people on trolleys in Irish hospitals
Updated: 11:12, Wednesday, 5 January 2011

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said there are 569 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments, which is the highest number ever recorded in one day.

(Article Audio (1) 1 of 1 Trolleys - HSE says hospitals are being forced to defer planned operations Play)

Morning Ireland: Number of patients on trolleys hits record high
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has said there are 569 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments, which is the highest number ever recorded in one day.

The worst affected hospitals are Cork University Hospital with 48 patients waiting, Beaumont Hospital has 45 patients on trolleys and the Mid West Regional Hospital in Limerick has 44 patients waiting.

Today's figures break yesterday's record of 511 patients on trolleys.
...
continues at; http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0105/health.html

The accumulation of H3N8, H5N1 and H7N7 sub-segment genetic information onto the PF11 strains now in circulation is profound.

How many gurneys do they have in the UK?

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

Source: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0106/breaking1.html

Hospital overcrowding eases slightly
Last Updated: Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:21
EITHNE DONNELLAN, Health Correspondent and BARRY ROCHE

The number of sick people waiting on trolleys and chairs for a hospital bed fell below 500 today.

A survey of emergency department overcrowding found 492 patients unable to get a space on a ward, down 78 from yesterday?s record high of 570...

 

[tetano]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

5,400 new swine flu cases diagnosed this week


The Department of Health and Children has reported a doubling of human swine flu cases in the past week.

GPs have diagnosed around 5,400 new cases this week - double the number of cases found in the previous week.

26 patients are being treated in intensive care units for the virus.

The latest figures represent a rate of over 120 new cases for every 100,000 people.

Doctors expect the rates to increase further over the next few weeks with the reopening of workplaces and schools, but believe they should then start to decline.

..

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0106/swineflu.html

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds Due to H1N1 - Patients on trolleys reach record levels - Yesterday's record smashed again

Comment: There seems to be some disagreement as to why there were such a large number of patients on trolleys. The Health Service Executive said it was due to large numbers of flu patients, but the doctors I've seen interviewed seem to suggest that it was due to ward closures and cut backs.

Trolley numbers drop below 500 as beds are reopened
EITHNE DONNELLAN, Health Correspondent

THE NUMBERS of patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments dropped to just under 500 yesterday morning from a high of 569 on Wednesday as a number of hospitals confirmed reopening closed beds to alleviate overcrowding.

Naas General Hospital, where the trolley crisis was particularly severe, confirmed it opened 20 beds this week.

At Mullingar General Hospital, a further 16 beds were opened.

Cork University Hospital, where overcrowding was the worst in the State on Wednesday, confirmed it had reopened eight beds. It has also cancelled some elective surgery scheduled for today.

...

There was still no comment from Minister for Health Mary Harney on the trolley crisis yesterday. She is on holidays.

....

Dr Kevin Kelleher, head of health protection with the HSE, said he agreed with the emergency medicine consultants. He didn’t believe flu had made a big impact on emergency departments. This is despite claims earlier this week from the HSE that much of the pressure on emergency departments could be attributed to the increase in the number of people suffering with swine flu and other seasonal illnesses common at this time of year.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which compiles the daily trolley figures, said a nationwide survey by it identified 1,672 closed beds. More than 400 beds of these are in elderly care facilities such as local district and community hospitals.

Liam Doran, general secretary of the INMO, said the closed beds must be reopened to ease the current crisis and to give patients back their dignity.

...
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0107/1224286964697.html

 

[tetano]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds - Large numbers of patients on trolleys

Health authorities have played down the threat of flu pandemic in Ireland even as they reported a doubling up of human swine flu cases in the past week.
But they denied Department of Health and HSE claims that increasing numbers of swine flu cases were to blame for overcrowding in hospital emergency departments.
Dr Kevin Kelleher, HSE head of health protection, also reassured journalists that the country had enough stockpiles of swine flu vaccines to cover up to a million people, even without reverting to orders previously cancelled.
Stocks were within their use before date, as independently verified by the Irish Medicines Board, he said.
GPs have diagnosed around 5,400 new cases this week ? double the number of cases found in the previous week, and 26 patients were being treated yesterday in intensive care units (ICUs) for influenza, according to official figures.
This represents a rate of more than 120 new cases for every 100,000 people compared to over 200 new cases for every 100,000 people at the height of the pandemic in 2009.
Also addressing the first press briefing in relation to influenza since the 2009 pandemic, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan stressed the current virus was just a routine seasonal winter epidemic and not a pandemic which needed a crisis response, but warned that figures would rise over coming weeks and advised at-risk groups, including the elderly, chronically ill and pregnant, to get vaccination.
?This is something we both expected and anticipated,? he commented.
Dr Holohan confirmed 114 people have been hospitalised from flu, including swine flu, since the start of October 2009. Of those, 33, including two pregnant women, were admitted to intensive care ? with 26 remaining there.


http://www.imt.ie/news/uncategorized/2011/01/19548.html

 

[tetano]

Re: Ireland - Shortage of Hospital Beds - Large numbers of patients on trolleys

Reilly concerned by spread of swine flu

Fine Gael Health Spokesman Dr James Reilly has said there is a great risk of swine flu spreading in hospitals because of overcrowded emergency departments.

Dr Reilly said the overcrowding was putting seriously ill patients at enormous risk of cross-infection from swine flu and other contagious diseases.

He said: 'Acutely ill patients who have been left waiting in overcrowded emergency departments are at enormous risk of contracting swine flu, posing serious risk to their lives.

'An unprecedented number of people are being left for days on trolleys and plastic chairs, in overcrowded emergency departments, waiting for admission to hospital.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0108/swineflu.html