Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Last Tuesday, I raised with the Tánaiste the critical issue of hospital overcrowding, and given the continued state of crisis in our hospitals, I want to raise it again today with the Taoiseach. Last week there were serious problems in Cork University Hospital, CUH, and a black status escalation was declared, which meant that the hospital was at maximum capacity and was deemed unsafe to admit further patients. The outworking of that has had serious implications and two specific incidents were reported in the Southern Starnewspaper yesterday, which illustrate the extent of the problems at Cork University Hospital.

A general practitioner, GP, in Bandon, Dr. Mary Roycroft, has said that an 84 year old patient refused to attend the emergency department at CUH, despite being very unwell, and told her that she would rather die at home than be in there. She said that the patient's response is not unique and that many other patients have expressed similar fears. These are patients who need to be in hospital but who are unwilling and afraid to attend accident and emergency services because of persistent overcrowding. That is a scandalous situation. In addition, an elderly man who fell in Skibbereen last week was left lying on a pavement for nearly two hours while waiting for an ambulance to take him to CUH. The ambulance in question was one of eight that were queueing outside the hospital waiting to offload patients and it never came. This man was eventually taken to hospital by a paramedic crew from County Kerry. This is no way for our health service to operate and yet it is the reality. It is in a state of perpetual chaos and no meaningful action is being taken to address the extent of this crisis. That is a disgrace.

University Hospital Limerick was similarly in a state of chaos last week and that shows no sign of letting up.

There are 55 patients on trolleys there today and Limerick is yet again the worst affected hospital in the State. State-wide today, there are 631 patients on trolleys, the highest number in 2019 so far according to the INMO. There are 55, as I said, in Limerick, 42 at Cork University Hospital, 50 at Sligo University Hospital, 39 in Beaumont, and 37 in Galway. I am advised by Deputy Ferris that there are 36 patients on trolleys in Kerry University Hospital and nine sitting in chairs. It was equally chaotic yesterday. On and on it goes. It is frightening. Overcrowding, as the Taoiseach knows, impacts on patients and puts them at risk. It also affects the health and well-being of staff. Both of these things are intolerable. This is no longer a winter problem or one that is amenable to a seasonal intervention. It is year-round and State-wide. The Taoiseach has failed to get to grips with it. Quite simply, I ask what he and his Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, plan to do to respond to the capacity crisis in a meaningful way.

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