BUDGET & STAFF CUTS BUT WAITING TIMES CUT AT GALWAY HOSPITALS

Date Published: 26-Jan-2013

Despite staff and budgetsbeing cuts public hospitals in Galway and Roscommon dealt with more patients and cut waiting times for most procedures during the past year.

Figures presented at this month’s meeting of the Galway and Roscommon University Hospital Group showed an increas of 10 per cent in day cases, 4 per cent in outpaitent appointments, a 2 per cent increase at emergency departments and inpatient numbers up by 1 per cent.

The Galway-based public hospitals group met the Department of Health’s target for inpatient waiting lists that no adult should wait longer than 9 months, children no longer than 20 weeks and people requiring scopes being seen within 13 weeks.

Progress was made regarding the length of time patients had to wait for admission at the emergency departments (ED) in Galway hospitals.

In February there were on average 24 patients waiting for admission at 8am and by November this number had reduced to 12.

Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, made greater strides,even though the numbers at the emergency department increased,from 21,229 in 2011 to 22,892 last year. In December on average over 89% of patients attending the ED in Portiuncula were seen and discharged within 6 hours.

The hospital groups budget was cut by 25 million Euro to 287 million Euro and staff numbers were reduced by 105 on the figure for 2011 to 3,900 with absenteeism down to 4.69 per cent last year from 5.16 per cent in 2011.