Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour)

I welcome the increased ratio of red headed Deputies in the Chamber. It is a nice change.

I raise an important issue affecting my constituency, namely, the position at the accident and emergency department of University College Hospital, Galway, which I understand, with approximately 66,000 attendances per year, is the second busiest accident and emergency department in the country after the department in Tallaght hospital. It is also a hospital with a much wider remit. Tallaght hospital is not the only major hospital in Dublin, whereas University College Hospital, Galway serves the entire western region and is a major hub of medical activity. The experiences of constituents of mine who present at the accident and emergency department are severe and are very worrying. Approximately two weeks ago on 24 September matters got to the stage where HSE West had to issue a statement asking people not to present at the department, unless it was absolutely necessary to do so, as it simply could not cope with the number of patients presenting. That is a sign that the problem is reaching crisis point.

Yesterday morning there were 42 patients on trolleys in the hospital, which was almost a record. The problem was so bad that there was an overflow into other units. The ward space required is not available to deal with patients in the accident and emergency department and that issue needs to be tackled. It is often a gruesome and an horrific experience for patients waiting endlessly in an overcrowded department, not knowing how long they will have to wait to be seen. Conditions are often cramped. I have heard one story from a constituent who had a leg injury and who had to stand while waiting to be assessed as as there was no chair available. Those presenting are vulnerable, sick and worried because they are not used to being dealt with in such circumstances.

According to figures I received today, 356 patients spent time on a trolley in the hospital in September 2010, but this figure rose to 642 in September 2011, a huge increase of 286. Clearly, the trend is deteriorating. I have a 78 year old constituent who spent four nights on a trolley in the hospital. On the afternoon of 24 September every single patient on a trolley was over 75 years old.

I met the clinical director and the registrar in the accident and emergency department on 30 August to discuss the issues involved. They talked about some of their plans such as the movement of critical functions from the hospital to other satellite hospitals in the HSE West region, the use of the medical admissions unit and the medical assessment unit. However, these initiatives on their own are not capable of solving the problem. The fair deal scheme is part of the problem. There are persons in the acute hospital system who should be in elderly care settings, but they cannot receive such care because the funding is not available.

There are also other issues such as the effectiveness of the national ambulance service. Patients are spending time in hospital beds when they should have been transferred. Owing to a lack of resources, it can take two days to have them transferred by ambulance.

It will be interesting to hear the Minister of State's reply on any actions she proposes to take.

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