FAIR DEAL DELAY BLOCKING UHG BEDS
Date Published: 22-Nov-2011
A delay in processing Fair Deal nursing home applications is causing the recent upsurge in patient numbers in UHG's emergency department.
That's according to Clinical Director of GUH Dr David O'Keeffe who was answering a question from Cllr Mary Hoade at today's Regional Health Forum.
Cllr Hoade had asked Dr O'Keeffe what plans had been put in place to deal with rising numbers of patients waiting on trolleys in the run up to Christmas.
Dr O'Keeffe accepted that there had been an unusual surge in patient numbers at A&E but said a contributing factor was the high number of patients waiting for Fair Deal assessments in hospital here.
The clinical director added that there were over 30 people waiting for discharge, which was "effectively over a ward closed" at UHG.