Kerry General Hospital.
THE number of people waiting in Kerry General Hospital on trolleys in August increased by over 90% on last year’s figures for the same month.
This is according to the Trolley/Ward Watch figures supplied by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation whose General Secretary, Liam Doran, who talked of the “unacceptable pressures in the health service”.
Last year the number of people waiting on trolleys in August 2013 was 49, but that jumped to 95 this year.
Trolley figures for KGH were released for August 2007 to 2014 and show huge fluctuations between the years during that month:
• 2007 – 55
• 2008 – 9
• 2009 – 9
• 2010 – 37
• 2011 – 70
• 2012 – 81
• 2013 – 49
• 2014 – 95
Figures for the past five days (Monday, Sept 8 to Friday, Sept 12) revealed there were 11 patients waiting on trolleys in KGH.
The INMO found that there was a 19% increase nationally in the number of patients on trolleys in August 2014 compared to August 2013.
“The trolley/ward watch figures for August are truly shocking and represent a clear warning that our health service has already cut back too deeply,” said Liam Doran, INMO General Secretary.
“We cannot talk about an economic recovery, benefitting everyone, while we are facing such unacceptable pressures in our health service.
There is no choice but to open closed beds, immediately, and address the staffing crisis. The winter is coming and we must prepare accordingly. Therefore, the patient comes first and budgets must respond to need, not bureaucrats,” said Mr Doran.
