More than 30,000 people are treated every year in the accident and emergency department at Tralee hospital. This figure amounts to about 50 patients every day. Today ten patients were accommodated on trolleys in the corridor adjacent to the unit. There are only four cubicles in the unit. There are toilet facilities for men and women, but no toilet facilities for people in wheelchairs. It is often the case that people who attend the unit are incapacitated, perhaps due to injuries sustained in car accidents or other circumstances. There are no toilet facilities for such people. The trolleys in the unit are old and antiquated and need to be replaced. There are also problems with bed linen. Overall the situation is unacceptable.
Some of those admitted to the hospital have a referral note from their GPs. These patients expect to be treated properly and to be provided with a bed immediately. Such people have to be admitted through the accident and emergency unit and are left waiting on trolleys to be seen by a junior doctor or a nurse. In some cases these people go home because they feel degraded by being left on a trolley for hours or an entire day with people passing by. This can lead to serious consequences in some cases.
There is no accident and emergency consultant in the department. A part-time, temporary Australian consultant will be appointed on 18 March for three months and will be present in the hospital for three and a half days per week. He will spend the other day in Cork University Hospital which already has three consultants. Castlebar hospital, which deals with a similar number of people to Tralee General Hospital, has a full-time consultant. The same is the case in Sligo hospital which deals with about 22,000 people. Tullamore hospital deals with 25,000 people and has a full-time consultant, yet Tralee hospital does not have such a consultant.
Tralee has suffered considerably due to the fact that it is tied to Cork in the Southern Health Board region. Kerry is on the hind tit of services in the health board region whether regarding orthodontic or cancer services, care of the elderly or whatever. That is not right and the fact that we are lumped in with Cork has not been good for Kerry.
There are nine nurses and junior doctors in the accident and emergency department at Tralee hospital. These people are overworked and under considerable pressure. They work in pressurised conditions and are very stressed. These are great people who do their best, but they are becoming disillusioned and frustrated and they need help. The staff feel for themselves, but also for their patients.
It is time the health board and the Minister addressed the situation at Tralee General Hospital. The unit has no consultant, registrar or senior medical staff. The Minister visited the hospital recently and made an announcement for which he received a standing ovation. However, after he left nurses and others at the hospital asked why he had received such an ovation in light of the fact that he had given nothing. It is time something was done for Tralee General Hospital. After five years we expect some announcement.