The INMO has expressed doubt that plans aimed at tackling the overcrowding crisis at the region’s main hospital will have any impact this winter.
It follows comments by the head of the UL Hospitals Group, who insists they’ve been planning for the busiest time of the year since June.
Overcrowding continues to be high at Dooradoyle this week.
Today, the hospital remains the busiest in the country, with 52 patients waiting for beds there this morning and even the head of the UL Hospitals group says she’s expecting a busy winter.
However, Colette Cowan also insists they’ve been preparing for it since June.
While stressing that patients who are in need of emergency care will be seen as a priority in Dooradoyle over the coming months, she is urging patients to try to stay away from the hospital if at all possible.
The government says plans are in place for this winter – 10 million euro has been allocated, according to Minster Harris, but hospital groups are still waiting to find out how much of this will go to each area.
A HSE report says the late allocation of money last year meant it wasn’t as effective as it could have been, and now the INMO’s Midwest Representative says she doesn’t believe enough has been done to prevent against trolley numbers spiralling out of control this winter.
Mary Fogarty says the nursing union has seen no significant changes or improvements to the overcrowding issue, and she insists the hospital won’t cope this winter.
