Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am informed that the chief executive officer of Tallaght hospital, Mr. David Slevin, has stated it is not the case that the health of patients is under threat at the hospital. I understand he has provided assurances that the situation is being managed and that the hospital is providing adequate patient care.

Tallaght hospital is experiencing an unprecedented surge in the number of people attending its emergency department. However, circumstances continue to improve. I am told there are currently 19 people in total on trolleys. The hospital is implementing a response plan to manage actively the current pressures with a focus on regular ward rounds to increase the number of patients discharged. Thirty day-case procedures have been cancelled for today and tomorrow, and the patients have been notified. A meeting is to take place with hospital management tomorrow to discuss staff concerns.

With regard to staffing issues, the hospital is actively seeking to fill a number of nursing vacancies, particularly three nursing posts in the emergency department. The Department of Health, the HSE special delivery unit and the INMO all agree that waiting on trolleys is an unacceptable feature of the health care system that must be addressed. However, to date this year nationally, we are 3.3% ahead of the figure for 2013 and 34% ahead of the baseline trolley count for 2011. These percentages are the equivalent of 225 and 3,365 fewer patients on trolleys, respectively.

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