Health service cutbacks have lead to a "worrying" increase in the number of patients waiting on hospital trolleys, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) warned today.
The nurses' union said that the numbers of trolleys in the State's hospitals had increased 30 per cent between December 2006 and December 2007. The number had increased by 89 per cent in Dublin hospitals and decreased by 9 per cent outside the eastern region.
Cutbacks have lead to a 'worrying' increase in the number of patients waiting on hospital trolleys - INO
The figures compared the numbers waiting on trolleys during the 14 working days between December 1st and 20th, 2006, and the same period last year.
The INO said 365 people were on trolleys this morning around the country, and 299 yesterday, confirming "a very worrying deterioration in the figures". The union blamed the results of their study on HSE cutbacks and curtailment of services, imposed for the last four months of 2007.
The union said it would seek an immediate meeting of the A&E forum, involving the HSE and all health sector unions, to agree emergency measures to alleviate overcrowding.
INO general secretary Liam Doran said the figures were "most disappointing and will be a source of serious concern to patients, their relatives and friends, and the nursing and other support staff.
"One of the most disappointing aspects of this development is that it was entirely predictable the moment the HSE imposed cutbacks and restrictions upon the very measures which have been brought forward, by agreement, in the past 12 to 18 months to alleviate A&E overcrowding," he added.
"The cutbacks and restrictions were undoubtedly a short term money saving measure which took no account of the impact of the cuts on patients who now find themselves on trolleys and/or spending unnecessary periods in an acute bed when they could be discharged home or transferred to another, more appropriate, care environment," Mr Doran said.
Fine Gael health spokesman Dr James Reilly said the figures showed the fragility of the health service "after a damaging onslaught of front line cutbacks in the last four months of 2007".
"Despite the reality experienced by people on the ground - patients, doctors and nurses - the Health Minister continues to bury her head in the sand," he added.
The HSE this evening dismissed claims that it was ignoring A&E overcrowding and it blamed the Winter Vomiting Bug (Norovirus) for impacting on the efficiency of a number of hospitals.
"The HSE is absolutely committed to continuing to reduce waiting times and numbers within Emergency Departments," a spokesman said. "This commitment is clearly visible in the establishment of the Winter Initiative in 2006 which provides a combined community and hospital focus to ED improvements.
"It is also clearly visible in the improvements that have occurred throughout the last two years in both the numbers waiting and in the greatly reduced waiting times. These improvements were steadfastly maintained throughout 2007."
The HSE claimed the average daily number of patients waiting on a trolley has fallen year on year from 115 in 2006 to 93 last year.
