Ireland's over-crowded hospitals are in an “endless cycle of crisis” as a surge in winter illnesses has left them facing “extreme pressure”.
The Irish Medical Organisation warned patients are facing dangerous waiting times for treatment at present. A spokesman said: “Our public health services are in an endless cycle of crisis.
“Too few doctors, too few beds and too few healthcare professionals. We are simply not investing enough in recruiting staff and increasing capacity to meet the needs of patients.
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“This is leading to dangerous waiting times for treatment and unprecedented levels of burnout amongst doctors.” Some hospitals are now urging the public to stay away from emergency departments as they struggle to cope.
The Mater in Dublin has warned patients who present at its A&E with non-urgent conditions face lengthy waiting times. Officials urged patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service such as minor injury units or their GP surgery.
In a statement yesterday, the hospital said its services are “under extreme pressure” due to the large numbers of patients requiring treatment. It advises anyone who is in need of emergency care will be seen and the Mater would urge such patients not to delay and to seek such care.
The warning came as it emerged a total of 593 patients were on trolleys waiting for hospital beds yesterday, according to the HSE’s data. Around 333 of these people waited over nine hours. Seven patients in children’s wards were also in the queue for a bed yesterday.
Meanwhile, Covid-19 infections continue to rise leading to additional pressure on the system. As of yesterday morning, there were 692 confirmed cases in hospital - a rise of 14 from the previous day.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation confirmed last year was the worst year for hospital overcrowding on record – and warned how the conditions are compromising patient safety. More than 121,318 patients, including 2,777 children, went without a bed in Irish hospitals last year.
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Last month, the IMNO recorded 11,842 people were admitted but were denied a bed. Its general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said her members spent 2022 working in constant crisis.
He said: “Nurses are unfortunately ending this year how they started it – fire fighting intolerable overcrowding coupled with highly transmissible viruses and infections. INMO members in triage and A&Es in Ireland’s busiest hospitals are highlighting how the conditions are compromising patient safety.
“We know from experience that in the first weeks of January trolley figures could have the potential to double. The State cannot walk into the next week unprepared for what could be a severe overcrowding crisis.
“We have had silent acceptance from the Government and the HSE on this type of overcrowding for far too long. The HSE have acknowledged things are going to get worse but have not outlined what precise support will be made available to our members in the coming days and weeks ahead.”
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