‘Stay away from the A&E’ – HSE urge people to use downgraded hospitals instead of A&E – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

‘Stay away from the A&E’ – HSE urge people to use downgraded hospitals instead of A&E




The Health Service Executive is once again urged to use all available resources – including hospitals that have been downgraded in the past – to address the current overcrowding crisis.

Official figures show hundreds of patients are still waiting for ambulances to be admitted to hospitals across the country.

Meanwhile, pharmacies are reporting bottlenecks in over-the-counter medicines to treat respiratory diseases.

The number of patients waiting on trolleys in emergency rooms last night was 535.

Today’s HSE data puts the number of people waiting in acute hospitals at 260, including children’s hospitals. Compared to 398 at the same time yesterday.

The numbers, taken at 8 am are more than 71% higher than that day last year.

The hospitals most affected today are: Cork University Hospital with 23 waits, St Vincent’s University Hospital Dublin with 20 waits and University Hospital Sligo with 19 waits.

The number of those hospitalized with Covid is 577.

The HSE has been asked to authorize some cases to be treated at Roscommon hospital in a bid to ease pressure on emergency departments in the area.

Independent TD Denis Naughten said the hospital’s Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) could treat a range of ailments and be used to reduce waiting times in emergency departments in Sligo, Mayo and Ballinasloe.

His call comes after the HSE and the National Ambulance Service agreed on a protocol that would allow the Ennis assessment unit to be used for a similar purpose.

From next Monday, Ennis Hospital’s MAU will be used to treat some patients who would normally be taken to Limerick University Hospital.

Paramedics responding to 999 calls will examine patients and then consult with doctors in Ennis to determine if their condition meets clinical criteria for treatment there.

The initiative takes place from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. when the MAU is open. It is running on a pilot basis.

MP Naughten said it was imperative that the staff and facilities at Roscommon Hospital were deployed to deal with the health system crisis.

He said the MAU could have a particularly useful role there in treating some respiratory diseases.

Deputy Naughten lost the Fine Gael whip 12 years in a row over the decision to downgrade Roscommon Hospital and close the emergency room there. In the subsequent election, he successfully ran as an independent candidate.

The Injury Unit has operated at the hospital since the emergency room closed in 2011.

Separately, the HSE said it does not believe the number of flu cases has peaked yet.

Pressure on the hospital network remains high as the number of patients, many with respiratory infections, seek treatment.

After the worst week for hospital overcrowding on record, Health Secretary Stephen Donnelly said the focus for this and coming weekends would be on treating and discharging patients.

Hospital and community service workers have been asked to work overtime today and tomorrow to increase the flow of patients through the system.

Damien McCallion, the HSE’s chief operations officer, said he hoped it would ease the pressure as he described delays at hospitals as being unacceptably long.

HSE interim CEO Stephen Mulvany said it was difficult to predict what the impact could be next week.

The HSE has also urged people to consider options other than accidents and emergencies where possible, e.g. B. making an appointment with a family doctor or visiting a clinic for minor injuries.

However, there are also some concerns about delays in GP visits in this current health crisis.

The situation in hospitals has prompted the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization to consult with its members on a campaign for industrial action.

Nurses say the overcrowding was avoidable and they will not tolerate this level of danger in the workplace.

Blame the infrastructure, says GP

Denis McCauley, a Donegal GP and chairman of the IMO GP committee, said he was “worried” about sending people to hospital because he thought they weren’t getting the treatment they were supposed to be getting.

“It is sad and it is worrying,” he said, reports RTE.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Brendan O’Connor, he said hospitals are doing their best but the infrastructure is to blame and this has been emphasized to those in charge for many years.

“It is really difficult. We are the assessors of the respiratory issue. We try our best to assess these people, to look after them in primary care,” reports RTE.

However, he said there was “a body of sickness” they couldn’t deal with.

Hospitals used to be able to do this, but now they can’t, he added.

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