Local Sinn Féin Deputy, Claire Kerrane, has responded to data from the HSE which shows that 610 patients left the emergency department at Portiuncula University Hospital in the first five months of the year without being seen, a figure which compares to 422 in 2018.
Teachta Kerrane said that this is caused by long emergency department waiting times of 6.8 hours on average so far this year at Portiuncula University Hospital.
Teachta Kerrane called on the Minister for Health to urgently review emergency department capacity at HOSPITAL and to invest in community-based alternatives such as out-of-hours GP and late-night pharmacy. She said that, ultimately, more beds and staff are needed at the hospital to reduce waiting times, as well as a significant increase in GP capacity.
“A total of 610 patients left emergency departments without being seen in just the first five months of the year, in comparison to 422 for the same period in 2018. Waiting times in Portiuncula University Hospital emergency department have shot up to almost seven hours, which is driving patients to leave without being treated.
“The high number of patients leaving emergency departments without being seen is highly concerning. Patients are attending emergency departments because they are in need of urgent care and have nowhere else to go.
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have brought the health service to its knees, with waiting times worse than ever. GP practices are bursting at the seams. Hospitals are grappling with a lost decade of underinvestment. This is heaping more pressure on emergency departments.
“Tackling the crisis in our hospitals should be a priority for Government, but they have failed at every step. They have not made the investments in beds and staffing that are needed. Young graduates continue to emigrate in their droves. Meanwhile, there are record levels of spending on outsourcing to the private sector instead of building public capacity.
“The Minister for Health needs to get to grips with this crisis. We need an urgent review of emergency department capacity, and ultimately, we need more beds and staff for Portiuncula University Hospital.
“Sinn Féin would ramp up training places to increase staffing in hospitals, in the community, and in general practice to reduce the pressures on emergency departments. We would engage with healthcare workers and address the cost of living and housing crises to increase worker retention. We would invest in expanding hospital capacity on a consistent, multi-annual basis, as outlined in our Alternative Budgets, to tackle overcrowding in emergency departments,” Teachta Kerrane said.
