Don’t blame the weather for trolley crisis, Simon
SOME 714 patients languished on trolleys awaiting admission to a hospital bed this week. This shows that nothing has changed since this glued-together Government took power, and things seem to be getting worse by all accounts. It’s a national scandal.
Is it possible the suffering of patients is not registering with this Government at all? Doctors and nurses are at the end of their tether, frustrated and exhausted day in and day out by continually being asked to do the impossible.
Among those awaiting admission are children. This is a result of the Government failing to fund the health system and, thus, was entirely predictable.
We know the problem is a lack of beds, and we need to enhance primary and social care services for patients to take the pressure off our hospitals.
There is no point in blaming the weather, Simon Harris, we need urgent action and we need it now.
No more excuses, we have had all those.
NOEL HARRINGTON, Co. Cork. ...THE allocation of €5million in extra funding to alleviate the trolley crisis through the provision of extra home care is to be welcomed.
Home care reduces pressures on our acute sector by firstly reducing admissions to hospitals, and secondly, by speeding up discharges from hospitals.
However, the home-care sector has its own capacity crisis, with rising waiting lists for home-care packages. The reality is that the home-care sector cannot cope with existing demand let alone an additional €5million worth of care to resource.
The reason for this is simple: agencies are finding it impossible to recruit and retain carers because of poor pay, zero-hour contracts and offering precious little career pathways.
Unless we start to make caring a more attractive career and become more innovative in how home care is delivered, home care will never be able to play its full role in the healthcare continuum and help reduce the pressures the acute sector is presently facing.
MICHAEL HARTY, Founder of Home Care Direct. ...WHEN patients attend A&E they don’t always require a bed, so why put them on a trolley and leave them in corridors?
Why not provide a side room with reasonably comfortable seats and access to toilets? A lot of congestion could be saved as more people could take up less space.
GEOFF ISMAY, by email.