Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

On Tuesday last, the HSE addressed the Joint Committee on Health on the ongoing crisis in our emergency departments. As we know, hundreds of people have been left on trolleys in public hospitals. This is a perpetual crisis that happens every year and it is completely unacceptable in a country that is quite wealthy. This is obviously a legacy issue related to capacity, given that 40 years ago there were more beds in the public health system than there are now. This is why the crisis has been brewing. Emergency department consultants have said that people will die because of the trolley crisis. People will continue to die because of the lack of a plan. The winter plan is out the door; it is crisis management in relation to the HSE. Where does this lead us? It is not acceptable that those who have paid taxes throughout their lives and who rely on the public health system are left for days on trolleys. It is just not acceptable.

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