Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 February 2014
57. Deputy Seán Ó Fearghaíl asked the Minister for Health the measures being put in place to address overcrowding in the emergency department at Tallaght hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6934/14]
View answerThe Department of Health, the HSE SDU and the INMO are at one in regarding trolley waits to be an unacceptable feature of the Irish healthcare system which must be addressed. However, year to date on a national basis we are 2.9% ahead of 2013 and 33.7% ahead of the baseline 2011 trolley count. These percentages are equivalent to 237 and 4,015 fewer patients on trolleys respectively.
Tallaght hospital is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of people attending the Emergency Department. The CEO of Tallaght Hospital has categorically stated that it is not the case that the health of patients is under threat. He has provided assurances that the situation is being actively managed and that the hospital is providing adequate patient care.
I have been advised by the HSE that a small number of day case procedures have been cancelled and these patients have been notified. As is standard practice when EDs are experiencing a surge of attendances, other measures to be utilised include using closed beds, beds designated for day procedures, treatment rooms and where no other option remains, by putting additional beds onto wards. No-one considers this last option to be desirable, but it has been shown to be clinically safer than leaving patients in over-crowded Emergency Departments. It is also acknowledged that additional patients bring additional responsibilities for front line staff, but this has always been the case at peak times. By placing patients in wards, they are removed to a less stressful environment, where they are afforded a greater measure of comfort, privacy and dignity, and where their clinical needs can be appropriately managed.
With regard to staffing issues, the number of nurses has increased from February 2013, with 938 nurses currently employed at Tallaght, 30 of whom were recruited in the last month. Further recruitment is ongoing.
