There were 2,776 patients waiting on a bed in Mayo University Hospital over the course of 2021, according to figures published this week by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. Nationally, over 70,275 patients went without a bed in Irish hospitals, according to the report.
The report showed that last year was the worst year for patients waiting on beds in the hospital since counting of the figures by the INMO started in 2006, with the number of people waiting on a bed for the 12 months of 2020 amounting to 2,516 - 260 less than what was recorded in 2020 at the hospital.
In 2019 there were 2,419 patients waiting on a bed over the year, while in both 2017 and 2018, that number had dropped below the 2,000 mark.
The union has branded this year’s figures nationally as an "unacceptable rise in overcrowding, while we know this adds to the spread of COVID-19 in our hospitals”. This comes as the INMO’s figures show an increase of 31 per cent of patients on trolleys in general, compared to the first year of the pandemic.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said: "The fact that we have seen the numbers of patients on trolleys rise by 31 per cent during the second year of a pandemic is completely unacceptable. Hospital overcrowding should never be acceptable, especially when we have a highly transmissible virus.
"Radical action is now needed to curb the unacceptable levels of overcrowding in our hospitals. This is not a new phenomenon; the health service cannot continue to make the same decisions year in year out and expect different outcomes.
"There are immediate short-term requirements that can be taken: (1 ) Increasing care of sick non-emergency patients to the private sector, immediate review of pre- hospital and post discharge care to assist the pressures on acute public hospitals right now and for the next three weeks as predicted, (2 ) The full implementation and funding of the nursing and midwifery staffing review and (3 ) Increase supports to provide nursing and midwifery-led care in the community."
She continued: "We have a nursing and midwifery workforce that are running on empty. They are looking for some kind of indication from their employer that things will be different this year. The commitment nurses and midwives have shown, especially in the last month with the arrival of Omicron, has been exemplary. While many staff are on Covid-related sick leave, others are cancelling leave and staying longer than they are rostered to ensure patients are looked after.
"The INMO has raised red flag after red flag with the HSE and Government. We need to see urgent action by curtailing all non-emergency activity in our public hospitals."
