UHG trolley numbers on the rise again this week
University Hospital Galway recorded the highest trolley numbers in the country on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week – with pressure continuing on emergency services.
Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) showed 37 patients in the Emergency Department and a further 34 on hospital wards.
The number of admitted patients without a bed rose to 71 on Thursday - four higher than Wednesday's figure of 67, although it remained below Tuesday's peak of 76. The number awaiting beds on Monday was also 67.
The figures follow a particularly busy Halloween weekend, when 401 people attended the hospital's Emergency Department.
In a public advisory on Monday, hospital management said all available beds were occupied and additional temporary beds were in use to cope with demand.
Flu and Covid-19 outbreaks were also affecting capacity, with elective procedures under review and urgent and time-sensitive treatments being prioritised.
During October, 1,106 patients were recorded as waiting for beds at UHG, the third-highest figure nationally.
Across Ireland, 12,672 patients were treated without a hospital bed during the month, making it the worst October on record for overcrowding.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha has warned that patients treated on trolleys or chairs face worse health outcomes than those admitted to hospital beds.
UHG has asked people with non-emergency conditions to consider alternative healthcare options, including GPs, out-of-hours services and pharmacies, before attending its Emergency Department.
They point out that community pharmacists provide expert advice and over-the-counter treatments for a wide range of minor illnesses. In addition, a new service is available which allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medication without the need to see a GP.
The Common Conditions Service can treat allergic rhinitis, cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo, oral thrush, shingles, cystitis (uncomplicated urinary tract infection) and vaginal thrush.
The hospital stressed that everyone who presents will be treated, with priority given to those who are seriously ill or injured.