Health Ireland said the trolley crisis in hospitals was because the health service remained “outstripped by bed capacity”.
Tuesday morning, 485 hospitalized patients were waiting for a bed.according to IMNO’s Trolley Watch report.
talk to news talk breakfastDr Tadhg Crowley, chair of the Irish GP Committee, said January was “traditionally the busiest time of the year” for emergency departments due to the high number of respiratory illnesses.
“We are emerging from RSV infections, which peaked around Christmas, and are now in crisis. [period with] “Influenza and COVID-19 are coming at the same time,” he said.
“You would expect that at this time of year.”
Patients on trolleys in hospital A&E.Photo credit: Josie Elias / Stockimo / Alamy Stock PhotoIn its 2023 capital plan, the HSE announced an additional 261 inpatient beds, but Dr Crowley said the health service still lacked the capacity to properly treat patients.
“At the moment we have a hospital-based system,” he said.
“The general plan of all our politicians is to move to a Slente care model, which is to keep people in the community for as long as possible before they need to be transferred to hospital.
“However, the number of beds within the hospital system as an OECD [country] This is significantly lower than its European peers. ”
funding
Amid concerns about overspending, the Ministry of Health Announcing a hiring freeze for many positions within the HSE.
In a letter to staff, HSE chief executive Bernard Gloucester said the health service faces a period in which “funding levels, although very high, will not be sufficient to cover all current costs. “
For Dr. Crowley, that means the trolley crisis is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.
“HSE has frozen recruitment of staff” [because of] “There are budgetary concerns,” he said.
“It’s a really stupid thing to do, and it’s actually going to add to the problem in the long run. So I think we need to look at it.”
Dr. Crowley said demographic changes are likely to only increase healthcare demand in the coming years.
“You’re dealing with an elderly population and you’re dealing with an obesity epidemic around the world, particularly in Ireland,” he said.
“The number of symptoms requiring hospitalization will continue to increase.”
ERSI expects Ireland to run short Approximately 3,000 beds by 2030.
Main image: Hospital staff transport patients on trolleys. Image courtesy of Alamy.com