Overcrowding at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise up 47% so far this year

Overcrowding at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise is up 47% so far this year, according to figures provided by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

Between January and June 564 patients went without a bed in the Laois hospital which is up substantially from the 383 on trolleys over the same period last year. February was the busiest month when 106 patients were recorded as being on trolleys, followed by May with 101. 

Nationally over 9,437 patients, including 70 children were admitted to hospital without a bed in the month of June.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: "The fact that over 9,437 people were treated on trolleys in June is clear evidence that our health system is still far too reliant on a hospital system that that doesn’t have enough beds. The Government must prioritise investment in building and scaling up capacity to meet this demand. This can only be done by increasing bed capacity and also employing nurses to staff these beds. 

"The HSE’s recruitment freeze is making it harder to provide safe and timely care as it is becoming more difficult to fill rosters when staffing is so short. Our members want to be able to provide safe care to patients but also be assured that their own safety in the workplace is being guaranteed — neither are guaranteed when they are working in overcrowded conditions with unsafe staffing levels.

"The development of community services is critical to reducing the pressure on the hospital system. The recruitment embargo is making it impossible to fill posts in the community and therefore having a direct impact on the ability to provide care outside of the hospital system. The recruitment freeze is own goal after own goal.

"The INMO is consulting with our members who work in the community on the impact the recruitment freeze is having on them. We are now urgently seeking that the HSE reengage with the INMO at the Workplace Relations Commission on their staffing plan for 2024, which still hasn’t been published at the mid-point of the year."

In a statement on Tuesday Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said the number of patients on trolleys nationally in the first five months of the year was down 14% compared to the same period last year, meaning 7,800 fewer patients were waiting on trolleys for a hospital bed. 

Minister Donnelly said: “I want to pay tribute to staff in emergency departments, and throughout hospitals and community services who have contributed to this improved performance, despite a large increase in the number of patients presenting to emergency departments.

“Trolley numbers also fell last year. Our goal is to ensure all patients can access beds when they need them. This has already happened in some hospitals, including University Hospital Waterford and the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. There have been no patients on trolleys in Waterford for years and Tullamore has had no patients on trolleys to date this year. We are making real progress, although we have more to do.”