Election must not distract from hospital trolley

Crisis

THE Irish Hospitals Consultants Association (IHCA) has said the “distraction” of a general election cannot be allowed to cover the chronic overcrowding crisis being seen at hospitals across the country.

The association was commenting after figures published on Tuesday revealed that 640 patients were left languishing on trolleys awaiting beds. One tenth of that total were at the Cork University Hospital (CUH).

IHCA president, Donal O’Hanlon, said that more than one month into the new year there was little evidence of any positive action being taken to address the issue.

“We are facing the same issues as ever before. It feels as through politicians are almost immune to the numbers at this stage and this is a huge concern to hospital consultants,” said Mr O’Hanlon.

“But, the distraction of a general election cannot cover reports of 640 patients, including children being left waiting on hospital trolleys this week. The CUH alone had 64 patients without a bed on Tuesday,” he added

Mr O’Hanlon said the 199 additional beds committed by the end of January to tackle overcrowding during peak winter illness demand “were not having a sufficient impact, when hundreds more are needed”.

“Patients simply cannot wait for the political bargaining of a new Government – they need access to quality care now,” said Mr O’Hanlon.

He said all politicians, regardless of whether they are in Government or opposition should be committed to taking four key and immediate steps.

Arguably the most important of these to deliver 800 public hospital beds by the end of this year and fast-tracking the delivery of an additional 2.600 beds by 2025.

The association has also called for the introduction of a maximum waiting time of four hours for the admission, discharge or transfer of patients, a maximum waiting time of 18-weeks to see a consultant following a GP referral for inpatient/daycare hospital treatment and the end of “consultant pat discrimination” and the filling of the 500 vacant consultant posts.

“We must address staffing and bed capacity first, before we can make any tangible headway with tackling overcrowding and mounting waiting lists,” said Mr O’Hanlon.

“The IHCA, other front-line organisations and patients shouldn’t have to be flagging these issues week in, week out. It’s time our health services and elected representatives took the practical decisions needed to resolve the decades old problems in our public hospitals.”