Overcrowding crisis hits midlands hospital

Mullingar Hospital has been taken off-call due to major overcrowding at its emergency department.

As a result, ambulances are being re-directed to other hospitals in the midland region.

It was reported that over 22 people were waiting to be admitted on trolleys this morning with no further trolleys available for patients coming into the hospital.

According to the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) the hospital has seen an 800% increase in the number of patients waiting on emergency department trolleys in November 2009 compared to November 2007.

It says this increase is attributable to the closure of 41 beds in the hospital.

The INO called the overcrowding “unsafe and unmanageable”.

“This situation will inevitably worsen as we enter into the depths of winter unless management takes immediate action and reopen the recently closed beds in the Hospital,” Lorraine Monaghan, Industrial Relations Officer with the INO said.

However, the Health Service Executive has claimed the hospital has seen a reduction of only 21 beds.

It says the current bed complement stands at 199 compared to 220 previously.

[Posted: Fri 04/12/2009]