Measures announced to alleviate overcrowding at mayo general hospital

INITIATIVES are being put in place to support a sustained reduction in the number of people on trolleys at Mayo General Hospital.

Minister of State Michael Ring said he has been informed that approval has been granted to reopen 10 short stay public beds in Ballina District Hospital.

He explained: “This will alleviate delayed discharges through transitional care. The staffing arrangements will be initiated today and the beds will be rolled out as the staffing is secured.”

As an immediate measure, he added, 11 patients currently located in the district hospitals in Ballina and Swinford who are awaiting funding for the Nursing Homes Support Scheme will be approved funding and moved to private facilities immediately.

“This initiative in Mayo should provide the necessary options to deal with any residual issue of delayed discharge during this surge period with flu, etcetera,” he commented.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny stressed: “Patients remain the priority and are at the heart of all the reforms we are implementing. Numbers waiting at Mayo General Hospital are down 35% on January 6, which shows that government action is working. We will continue to work to solve this problem.”

Additional funding of €25 million has been provided by the government, on top of an additional €3m in late 2014, to address delayed discharges. This funding is being targeted at hospital and community services which can demonstrate initiatives to enable patients to move from acute or transitional care into long-term care or to return home with appropriate supports, and will help to alleviate pressures on acute hospital bed capacity, he said.