Drogheda A&E conditions 'inhumane'

The largest hospital in the north east has gone partially off call tonight due to overcrowding in its Emergency Department.

Following record numbers of people on trolleys today at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, the HSE said this evening the hospital was no longer accepting medical or surgical cases.

They were, however, still accepting trauma, paediatric and obstetric cases.

The Irish Nurses Organisation has described conditions for patients and staff in the A & E department at the hospital as inhumane.

According to the INO, there was a record number of patients on trollies at the hospital this morning.

40 people were waiting for admission, including 15 who have been on trollies since last Friday.

Industrial Relations Officer Tony Fitzpatrick said the situation was brought about by mistakes in the past where services were removed from other hospitals and put into Drogheda without adequate resources being allocated.

The HSE said it is also trying to move clinically discharged patients from the hospital and they are in contact with other hospitals in the region to see if patients can be transferred there.

A spokesperson said a transit lounge had opened in the hospital several days ago to help alleviate the pressure on beds while a medical assessment unit is due to open shortly.

A new A & E Department in the hospital will be operational by June.

The hospital's manager, Des O'Flynn, has also urged people to attend their GPs when possible rather than go to the A & E Department.

HSE report attacked

Separately, Opposition parties have criticised the Health Service Executive over its report on Accident and Emergency services in the midwest.

Read the full report.

The executive is recommending 24-hour A&E services should only be provided in one hospital in the region.

The report recommends round-the-clock A&E services are retained only in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle, Limerick.

24-hour A&E units at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals are to be replaced by local emergency centres and medical assessment units.

The HSE says many patients attending A&E could have been better dealt with by a GP out-of-hours service.

Labour has criticised the HSE for not publishing the report earlier to facilitate public debate on the changes.

Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has described the recommendation as a 'sicknote for patients in the midwest'.

Deputy Carey accused Fianna Fáil of going back on commitments made to constituents in Clare that 24-hour A&E services would be kept in Ennis.