Standing room only in A&E

There are 15 people waiting on beds in Our Lady's Hospital in Navan today (Friday) in what the Irish Nurses and Midwives Association has dubbed "The worst week ever recorded" in our hospitals.
Nationally the nurses union recorded a total of 2408 patient on trolleys during the first week of 2018. This marks an increase of 221, or 10 per cent, on the same period in 2017. 
Meanwhile, Deputy Peadar Toibín of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign has called on Minister Simon Harris to intervene directly to resolve the crisis in Navan A&E. 
He said he has been inundated with patients contacting him on the issue of overcrowding. 
“One man told me that the hospital had run out of trolleys. People were sitting on chairs in waiting room, needles in their arms, waiting for blood tests results, x-ray etc. No seats were available in the waiting room and there were sick people forced to stand waiting. And all the while more people were coming in”.
“Another constituent stated that he was left standing in the waiting room on Tuesday for four hours before a seat came available at which point he was brought in for triage and put back out to the waiting room with a needle in his arm and then left sitting on a chair from 11 pm till 2 o clock the next day”.
Deputy Tóibín asked the Minister for Health in a parliamentary question, if he would support, fund and direct the HSE to develop a rehabilitation ward in empty buildings on the site of Our Lady's Hospital, Navan in order to allow for the treatment of persons that are clinically discharged from hospital but still forced to occupy beds .”
 He was told the minister had the matter investigated and was advised that currently there is no vacant unit inthe hospital. The Ireland East Hospital Group has made a submission to the HSE under Winter Planning for access to the Psychiatric Unit currently being utilised as Day Services / Office accommodation for Psychiatric services. The proposal is to develop a 24 bedded Rehabilitation Unit in this space. 

If you or a loved one have experienced overcrowding or lengthy waits in the A&E, let us know by ringing 0469079613 or leave a message on our Facebook page.