600 Patients Over 75 Years Old Waited On Trolleys At UHK In First Nine Months Of 2018

Posted by

.

Cllr Toireasa Ferris.

SINN Féin Councillor Toireasa Ferris has expressed her concern that 600 patients over the age of 75 were left waiting over 24 hours to be seen in University Hospital Kerry ED in the first nine months of 2018, according to statistics from the HSE.

The figures come as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation revealed today that the number of hospital patients without beds in Ireland has exceeded 100,000 this year – the first time since records began.

With one month left in the year, 2018 is already the worst on record for overcrowding. University Hospital Kerry had 3,120 patients waiting on trolleys from January 1 to November 28, 2018.

Continued below…

.

Councillor Ferris stated: “It is very worrying that the HSE has confirmed in a PQ to Sinn Féin Health Spokesperson Deputy Louise O’Reilly that 10,855 patients over 75 year old patients were not seen within 24 hours so far this year. The situation was equally beak in University Hospital Kerry where 600 elderly sick patients waited over 24 hours to be seen.

It is unacceptable that anyone is left waiting on a trolley for over 24 hours, but it is absolutely abhorrent that elderly people are. The HSE has a 24-hour target for seeing those over the age of 75, this target in and of itself is far too low and completely lacks ambition. That such a low target has been missed on 10,855 separate occasions is serious case for concern.

This crisis is not seasonal, it is all year round. Only addressing the recruitment and retention crisis, increasing the number of beds and reopening all closed beds, increasing home support and step down facilities, and proper primary and community care will resolve this crisis,” said Cllr Ferris.

2 Comments

  1. Hi

    just wondering if you would do a piece on petrol prices in Tralee which historically was always the cheapest around. having travelled to Cork in the last month and coming to Castleisland every day I have noticed that Castleisland is between €0.04 & €0.07 cheaper than Tralee for about 2 months now. what is going on? are the petrol pumps in Tralee after getting greedy? many thanks

  2. Bet none of the Politicians relatives were on trolleys…It is scandalous ..every other nationality using the system to their advantage and our elderly (myself among them) should be given care and respect as they worked all of their lives ..Shame on Taoiseach who is also a Dr ..to allow this to happen..in the first place

image