Proposals could see end to A&E overcrowding

Date Published: 08-Jun-2010

RADICAL new proposals to streamline the Emergency Department at University College Hospital in Galway could be presented to medical and nursing staff within a matter of weeks for their consideration.

Meetings have taken place between the Regional HSE and hospital management over the past couple of months to try and resolve the embarrassing crisis at the Emergency Department.

It is an initiative to rid the hospital of the ignominy of having dozens of patients on trolleys at the one time and patients having to wait several hours before being admitted.

The plan also includes moves to prevent overcrowding in the department which can often lead to security problems and safety issues for both staff and other patients.

It is understood that the changes to the way that the Emergency Department operates will involve a changing of rotas for medical and nursing staff.

Measures will also be introduced which will redirect patients to other specific departments, depending on their medical condition, rather than choking up the Emergency Department.

Cllr. Michael Crowe, a member of the Regional Health Forum who is closely associated with the proposed changes, said that the situation in Galway was worse than any other hospital in the country and there had to be a reason for this.

The regional director of operations with the HSE West, John Hennessy is one of the driving forces behind the radical plan to make sweeping changes to the old A&E at University Hospital and he is currently in discussions with management.

It is believed that they will issue a report on what the main problems are with the Emergency Department and list a series of measures that they hope can be implemented to alleviate the crisis.

Recently the situation in the Emergency Department was so bad that there were 51 patients on trolleys and the hospital had to cancel all non urgent admissions. Situations like this prompted action and it is now understood that the recommendation will be put to staff in a matter of weeks.

Continued on page 4 of this week’s Sentinel