Morning Focus opened with a look at the ongoing crisis in trolley numbers at the region's main hospital, as the Emergency Department Taskforce prepared to discuss hospital overcrowding.
Morning Focus opened with a look at the ongoing crisis in trolley numbers at the region's main hospital, as the Emergency Department Taskforce prepared to discuss hospital overcrowding.
Talks were brought forward by a week, after the number of patients waiting for beds reached an all-time high of 612 on Tuesday, 66 of those at University Hospital Limerick.
Last night (Thurs. Jan. 5), the HSE announced several changes for a number of hospitals, including extra beds and help from private hospitals.
The HSE has committed to opening 28 additional acute hospital beds at Galway University Hospital, which is also one of ten hospitals to benefit from 60 transitional care beds.
University Hospital Limerick will receive additional diagnostic services, and there has been no announcements for Ennis.
Gavin spoke with Paul Bell, Divisional Organiser, Health, SIPTU.
The topic of farm fatalities was then discussed on Morning Focus. The number of farming workplace deaths remained high in 2016 despite a drop of over 20% in workplace fatal accidents across all sectors for the year.
Forty-four people were killed in workplaces in 2016, a 21% reduction of the 56 reported in 2015, according to figures released by the Health and Safety Authority.
The number of deaths on farms, however, increased with 21 reported in 2016, compared to 18 in 2015.
The HSA has urged farmers to plan and carry out "quick safety checks" around machinery to help to reduce the number of fatalities on farms.
The agency has also noted a very high over-representation of elderly farmers in the statistics. It's called on farmers to plan the day and spend ten seconds thinking about hazards, risks and controls. Gavin spokw with Willie Hanrahan, Clare County Chairperson of the IFA.
Morning Focus then heard about Springfield family building their own flood defences one year on from a crisis in the area over the winter of 2015/16. Gavin spoke with Gerardine Quinlivan of Springfield, Clonlara.
The show then returned to the issue of hospital overcrowding when Gavin was joined by Collette Cowan, CEO UL Hospitals Group
Reaction was then given by Fianna Fail TD, Dep Timmy Dooley.
For the round-up of weekend events, Gavin spoke to Nollie McCarthy about the annual 7km walk for Cancer Care West, which takes place in Quin on Sunday (Jan. 8) at 1pm. It departs from Malachy's car park and follows the Ballykilty Circular Route. Refreshments afterwards in Malachy's Bar.
The Friday Panel was made up of John Quinlivan; Former Shannon Development Regional manager & Friends of Shannon Airport; Brian Meaney, Former Green Party member of Clare County Council (and Western Regional Health Forum); and Sharon Cahir of Cahir & Co. Solicitors, Ennis.
The show finished with a look ahead of another event on Sunday (Jan. 8). The Christmas Tree Throwing Championships is a novel way to turn Christmas tree recycling into a sport, while at the same time raise funds for a needy cause with this year’s proceeds going to Rape Crisis Midwest. The event takes place between 1pm and 3pm at Active Ennis Tim Smyth Park, Ennis.
