By Michelle Crawley
THE INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) have said that overcrowding at the Midlands Regional Hospital are seriously “concerning” as the hospital continues to experience a hefty demand on their services.
Once again this week, for the fourth week in a row, the hospital has been experiencing daily overcrowding, and has amongst the highest levels of overcapacity in hospitals across the country. On two days this week, the hospital experienced the highest numbers of people waiting for beds in the country, higher than any of the city hospitals which serve a huge population base.
According to the figures provided by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), there were as many as 32 patients waiting for a bed at the hospital on Thursday of last week, 14 August and 30 patients on the trolley and ward watch list on Friday, 15 August. This week, the situation has failed to improve with the hospital overcrowded by 26 patients on Monday of this week, 18 August.
According to the nurses and midwives group, 150 patients were placed on emergency department trolleys or in full wards over the first five days of this week; that is almost three times the total of 58 recorded during the same period in 2013. The emergency department alone had 165 placed on trolleys or beds between 1 August and 18 August, almost double last year’s figures for the same period.
SERIOUS CONCERNS
Speaking to Topic this week, a spokesperson for the INMO has said that there are “serious concerns for the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar in relation to the figures which are going the wrong way,” as the hospital has consistently become busier and more overcrowded.
In the first eight months of the year, the hospital has had 2,573 patients placed on trolleys or in full wards at the hospital, which is a significant increase on 2,193 for the same period last year.
POSSIBLE CAUSES
The INMO spokesperson indicated that the closure of Roscommon A&E in July 2011 has had a significant impact on the hospital in Mullingar, particularly on the emergency services and department. As a result of the closure of the A&E department in Roscommon, the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar has seen its catchment area increase massively. The INMO also are attributing reduced number of primary care services and staff for the overcrowding situation the hospital is currently facing.
FURTHER DEMAND
It has also come to Topic’s attention that many expectant mothers are choosing the Midland Regional Hospital to have their baby, as the maternity ward has a sterling reputation and this has also put extra pressure and demand on services.
STEPS TAKEN BY THE HOSPITAL
When contacted by Topic, the HSE acknowledged that the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar is experiencing a significant period of high activity for the summer season. The HSE spokesperson stated; “Whilst waits in the Emergency Department at the Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar are regrettable, steps are being taken to cope with the additional demand for services and to prioritise care for those who need it most. The Midland Regional Hospital at Mullingar has a standardised policy for dealing with surges in activity, which include increasing the number of clinical ward rounds being undertaken to ensure that any patients who are ready to go home are discharged and supported as necessary by community based care services, temporarily opening beds where deemed necessary and managing the volume of elective surgeries being undertaken in the hospital.”
The HSE spokesperson further added that the emergency department at the hospital will continue to prioritise acute emergencies and said that the hospital regret the inconvenience that waiting for admission can cause for patients
