Patients will continue to suffer while waiting on trolleys for an acute bed unless our hospitals’ capacity problem is resolved, according to a top emergency medicine expert in the nation, reports RTE.
After an examination of patient data revealed that overcrowding has been a recurring issue in our healthcare system for decades, Dr. Alan Watts, an emergency physician at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), which is often among the busiest in the nation, was speaking.
He stated that while he is still optimistic that expanding our hospitals’ bed capacity would have an impact, the issue will persist and people will continue to endure the agony of waiting on trolleys in ERs and wards until it is fixed, r r
Patients will continue to suffer while waiting on trolleys for an acute bed unless our hospitals’ capacity problem is resolved, according to a top emergency medicine expert in the nation.
After an examination of patient data revealed that overcrowding has been a recurring issue in our healthcare system for decades, Dr. Alan Watts, an emergency physician at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), which is often among the busiest in the nation, was speaking.
Dr Watts said: “Basically overcrowding is still a feature of our health service because of the capacity issue in our acute hospitals. It’s important to distinguish between overcrowding and an ED which is busy. 75% of patients are discharged after being seen by an emergency doctor … and the 25% remaining have to be admitted, and it is this group who require inpatient care and do not have a bed to go to, that end up staying on a trolley in the ED, or on a ward,” reports RTE.
He stated that while he is still optimistic that expanding our hospitals’ bed capacity would have an impact, the issue will persist and people will continue to endure the agony of waiting on trolleys in ERs and wards until it is fixed.
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The capacity study that former Health Minister Stephen Donnelly carried out last year was well received by the IAEM, reports RTE.
However, Dr. Watts pleaded with the government to give those beds first priority and to ensure that they had enough personnel.
Numerous worldwide studies have shown how hazardous overcrowding may be in terms of the effects and risks to patients.
According to a 2022 research published in the Emergency Medicine Journal, for every 72 patients who waited eight to twelve hours, there was an extra fatality. Patients over 75 who remained in the emergency department (ED) between midnight and 8am instead of an inpatient bed saw higher rates of morbidity and death, according to a different study conducted in France, reports RTE.
According to him, we had around 4,500 more beds in 1980 than we do now, including the system’s expansion that the HSE has been highlighting since 2020. As a result, we are currently about 4,500 short.
According to him, the government’s intentions to add up to 5,000 additional beds throughout their tenure would be beneficial, but it’s important to remember that as our population grows and becomes older, even more beds will be needed, reports RTE.
According to the Health Service Executive, ED attendances have increased so far this year, with a notable rise in patients 75 years of age and beyond who are seeking sophisticated treatment.
According to the HSE, health regions maximise capacity to meet demand from both planned and unscheduled care every day, regardless of the season.
Increased ED demand, infection prevention and control, staffing, the availability of community and stepdown beds, and surge capacity are some of the elements that affect satisfying demand and enabling admissions to hospital beds, it continued, reports RTE.
According to the HSE, workers from all of its departments have put in a tremendous amount of effort during the winter to make sure patients get the best treatment possible.
It further stated that the number of people on trolleys at and just after weekends decreased in the second half of 2024 due to an increase in the presence of senior clinical decision-makers and support services in acute hospitals on weekends, reports RTE.
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