Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am sure the Minister is as aware as I am that the full capacity protocol was initiated in one particular hospital on over 80% of the days in question, with 50% being the average across our hospitals. One of the things that happens when the full capacity protocol is activated is that elective procedures are cancelled. One of the other things that happens is that the people who have had their elective surgery cancelled when the previous full capacity protocol was initiated find themselves entering the hospital by the only door open to them, namely the door of the accident and emergency department. We are caught in a cyclical trap. We have elective procedures being cancelled and the people involved have to wait and wait, often in chronic pain. One would have to feel for the bed managers because very often it falls to them to make the phone calls telling people that they will not be coming to hospital for their operations.

Traditionally, surgical day wards were used as a safety valve but that has now become more of a permanent arrangement. I do not see any plan to reduce these waiting lists.

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