BREAKING: Number of patients on trolleys at St Luke’s more than doubles in one day
THE number of patients on trolleys at St Luke’s Hospital has more than doubled in the space of just 24 hours amid growing concerns of hospital overcrowding across the country as the winter sets in.
A total of 20 patients were recorded on trolleys and wards today by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
This was a significant rise on the eight patients recorded as being on trolleys at St Luke’s by the INMO’s Trolley Watch yesterday.
Pressure is growing on the Government to unlock vital funding to ease pressure on our ailing health service to avoid a repeat of last year’s overcrowding which saw record numbers of patients left languishing on trolleys.
The national figure currently stands at 508, a rise of 59 from yesterday’s figure. The INMO has warned the number of patients on trolleys could exceed 1,000 on some days over the winter.
Health Minister Simon Harris yesterday admitted he was “worried” about the impact on patients attending hospital over the coming winter period.
Meanwhile, there was more bad news for the country’s beleaguered hospitals earlier today after the INMO confirmed nurses will ballot for strike action over the coming weeks following their rejection of Government pay proposals to tackle recruitment and retention difficulties in the health service.
The INMO made the announcement after a two-day meeting of its governing executive committee in Dublin. If the ballot is passed, nurses would stop work for 24-hours, providing only life-preserving care and emergency response teams for operating theatres and emergency departments.
