Commenting on the record number of patients on trolleys and chairs
Accident and Emergency Departments of our public hospitals as
highlighted by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Sinn Féin’s
General Election candidate for Cork South West, Paul Hayes said
the cuts imposed in the Budget were set to make the situation far worse.
He said:
“We have a record-breaking number of 569 patients on trolleys and chairs
in our public hospital A&E departments but this situation is set to
worsen as a result of the cuts imposed in the Budget. We had over 1500
acute hospital beds closed due to cuts even before Budget 2011. This evening,
my own mother was still lying on a trolley in the A&E department of CUH,
along with 48 others, after being admitted yesterday morning with a suspected
blood clot in her leg. She had her hip replaced just two weeks ago and lying on a
trolley in a hectic A&E corridor is not at all satisfactory or conducive to the required
rest and recuperation needed after such an operation. The situation there at present
is totally unacceptable for patients or indeed staff to work in.
“The Fianna Fáil/Green Government has taken €765 million out of the
public health budget for 2011 and its four-year plan would take a total
of €1.4 billion by 2014.
“These figures underline the urgent need for both a change of government
and a radical change in economic policy and health policy.
“The four-year plan to savagely cut the public health services must be
scrapped. We need strategic and planned investment in our public
healthcare services, total reform of the system and delivery and
accountability for patients.
“Unless real policy change is delivered we will see more patients on
trolleys, far fewer hospital beds, longer waiting lists and the
continuing emigration of trained medical professionals.”
