Letterkenny Hospital registered fifth highest patient overcrowding in September

Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) experienced the fifth highest overcrowding levels across the country's acute hospital system in September, it has been revealed.

And the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has now warned that there is a "catastrophic winter ahead" in hospitals as 10,515 placed were placed on trolleys in September.

This is the second worst September for overcrowding in Irish hospitals when 10,641 patients were without a bed in 2019.

Sligo University Hospital (SUH) was not spared either as it ranked above the overcrowding levels at Letterkenny in the month that has just passed.

Outside the northwest, the biggest overcrowding experienced was in the major urban populations of Limerick, Cork and Galway, casting a light on why this region with much lower populations bases, are so high in the national statistics.  

The top five most overcrowded hospitals in September 2022 were: (1) University Hospital Limerick (1382 patients); (2) Cork University Hospital (1260 patients); (3) University Hospital Galway (1032 patients); (4) Sligo University Hospital (790 patients) (5) Letterkenny University Hospital (666 patients).
 

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha reacted by saying:

“It is clear from this month’s overcrowding figures that we are on a path to a catastrophic winter in our hospitals. It is unsafe for nurses and the patients they care for. Besides a leaked draft winter plan, we have no clear vision from healthcare leaders as to what the solution for this winter is.

“The ongoing problems with overcrowding are leaving nurses completely and utterly demoralised. We have a severe recruitment and retention problem within the health service. This week alone in a large teaching hospital in Dublin, over a dozen nurses working in a busy Emergency Department handed in their notice. Our members are now voting with their feet and saying that they will not stand for another winter where they are demoralised, burnt out and abused in their workplace because of the excessive workloads.

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“It is not enough for the Minister for Health and senior HSE leadership to acknowledge that we are in for an undesirable winter. We need to know when the private hospitals will be coming on the pitch, we need to know what exact measures are being implemented to keep our nurses in the system, when extra capacity will be coming through in communities to allow discharging of patients to happen in a timely manner. Patients need assurances that they will be cared for in a safe environment that ensures their care is not compromised.”