Government must address chronic capacity problems in public hospitals according to IHCA
Government must address chronic capacity problems in public hospitals according to IHCA
Saturday 7th October 2017: The State is condemning acutely ill patients to experience unacceptable delays which is resulting in avoidable deaths in our acute hospitals because of a chronic lack of capacity according to the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA). At the IHCA’s 29th Annual Conference today, the Association said that next week’s Budget will be a clear indication of whether the Government actually wants to address the real problem that is affecting patients today – the lack of capacity. The number of patients currently on hospital outpatient waiting lists would fill Croke Park six times over, with many waiting years for treatment, because of the Government’s failure to invest in essential front line acute hospital beds and other facilities.
Speaking at the Annual Conference in Limerick, Dr Tom Ryan, President of the IHCA, said: “The evidence that we need more acute hospital capacity is compelling. Despite a growing and ageing population, over 1,400 in-patient acute hospital beds were closed over the last decade. The number of elective surgeries declined by 50% in the last four years. There has been a persistent policy of rationing healthcare by the State as it has systematically decreased the number of in-patient beds in public hospitals. Governments have failed to address this in successive Budgets and Health Capital Plans, which is the root cause of waiting lists and the treatment of patients on trolleys.
“In the last year over 90,000 acutely ill patients received some or all of their hospital care on trolleys. The Government must immediately introduce solutions to fix this chronic lack of capacity or patients will face another decade of a failing health system where long waiting lists and trolley based care will be considered as standard.‘’
“The entire health system needs to see a real commitment from the Government to significantly increase acute hospital capacity. This must be underpinned with an agreed annual commissioning plan supported by the revised Capital Investment Plan, which is being finalised. There cannot be any more platitudes and false promises – our patients need to see real results and commitments.
“We need an integrated trauma network and an expanded rehabilitation service. The recommendations to expand ICU beds in the Department of Health/HSE Prospectus report of 2009 must be implemented by increasing ICU bed numbers by at least 200 over the next 5 years. These long overdue additional ICU beds are essential if we are to provide patient care to a contemporary standard and reduce avoidable deaths in our acute hospitals. With the existing capacity constraints and due to a lack of operating theatres, ICU beds and frontline staff our hospital system could not possibly react to a mass casualty event.
“The understaffed mental health services, cannot deliver care to a contemporary standard, and require urgent investment. Patients deserve better than this,” concluded Dr Ryan.
ENDS
For further information contact:
James Dunny, FleishmanHillard 086 388 3903