‘SURGE PROTOCOL’ IN PLACE AS HSE TELLS PATIENTS TO SEEK ALTERNATIVE CARE

‘SURGE protocols’ have been put in place in emergency departments, as the HSE appeals for people to use alternatives where possible.

It said people should visit their local injury units, GPs and pharmacies where possible, as hospitals were very busy due to ongoing high illness rates related to winter viruses.

Damien McCallion, chief operations officer for the HSE, said: ‘Surge protocols, as part of the urgent and emergency care plan, have been implemented as needed. This is to reduce the number of patients waiting on trolleys for an acute bed and reduce the number of patients over the age of 75 waiting in emergency departments after a decision has been made to admit them for ongoing care and treatment.’

HSE figures stated that as of 8am yesterday, there were 483 patients on trolleys – 366 in emergency departments and 117 on wards.

‘The latest information suggests that influenza levels seem to have peaked. However, there will be ongoing high levels of health service activity arising from winter viruses for a number of weeks,’ a spokesperson said.

Nurses, meanwhile, have called for all nonurgent elective procedures to be cancelled, in the face of mounting numbers on trolleys.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said that according to its data, there were 640 admitted patients, including 27 children, waiting for a bed at hospitals around the country yesterday morning. This overcrowding was leading to ‘very dangerous situations for patients and nurses who are trying their best to provide safe care’, the union warned.

Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary, said: ‘As predicted by the INMO, trolley numbers have been very high over the last few days leading to overcrowding records being broken in Cork University Hospital (94 on trolleys yesterday) and University Hospital Limerick (132 on Monday).

‘We know anecdotally from our members that some hospitals are still allowing procedures to be carried out despite huge numbers of patients on trolleys in hospitals. This is not acceptable.’

Meanwhile, the opening of an 80-bed community hospital in Ballyshannon, Co. Donegal, is the subject of a dispute between staff and the HSE, according to the INMO. The union says adequate plans have not been made around staffing and clinical governance, and that this poses a risk to staff and patients. Talks between the two sides were held last Friday, but broke down as the parties were unable to reach an agreement.