Lame excuses as 601 Patients lie on Accident and Emergency trolleys

Sinn Féin Dublin South West TD  Seán Crowe has said the crisis this week where 601 people were lying in hospital on trolleys across the state is a government made crisis.  He said the failure of this and other governments to invest in hospital services and to crucially listen to front line staff has directly led to this latest current crisis.

Crowe a member of Tallaght Hospital Action Group said the provision of extra beds, extra nurses, step-down facilities, long term care and nursing home beds is the only long term solution to the crisis.

Deputy Seán Crowe said;

“The crisis where 601 people are lying  in hospital on trolleys across the state is a government made crisis.  There is currently no health epidemic that has led to the current overcrowding and bed crisis.  This and other governments’ failure to invest in hospital staff and beds and its failure crucially to listen to the concerns of frontline staff has directly led to this crisis.

“Any fool who could see from the daily trolley figures coming from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation that there was an Accident and Emergency problem that was getting worse and worse from the summer last year.

“The Government’s handling of that problem, and particularly Minister Varadkar’s belated response, is not good enough.

“The only long term solution to this crisis is the provision of extra beds, extra nurses, step-down facilities, long term care and nursing home beds.

“This will entail additional financial resources and not lame appeals for extra trolleys in already packed hospital units while empty wards remain closed.” Críoch