Appeal for urgent action to tackle overcrowding at Mayo hospital

An elected member of Mayo County Council is calling on Mayo University Hospital to put an emergency plan in place immediately to deal with the shocking number of people waiting on trolleys in the accident and emergency department.

Councillor Harry Barrett elaborated: "Right now, 37 people - many of them elderly and very sick - are waiting for care in conditions that are completely unacceptable.

"These are our family members, friends, and neighbours.

"They are stuck for hours on end in a noisy, bright, and overcrowded emergency room. It’s not just uncomfortable - it’s unsafe.

"People deserve better than this, especially when they’re at their most vulnerable.

"The situation has reached crisis levels. Hospital management needs to act now and put a 'Surge Plan' in place.

"This isn’t something we can wait around for. The system is clearly overwhelmed, and immediate measures are needed to reduce the pressure and make sure patients are cared for properly.

"I’m calling on hospital management, the HSE and everyone involved to step up and fix this before it gets any worse.

"We need more beds, more staff, and faster solutions to get patients out of trolleys and into proper care.

"This is about basic human dignity. People in Mayo deserve a hospital system they can trust to take care of them when they’re sick. Right now, that trust is being tested.

"It’s time for action - no more delays."

* A total of 606 admitted patients are waiting for beds today in Ireland, according to the INMO Trolley Watch.

Of those, 408 patients are waiting in emergency departments, while 198 are in wards elsewhere in the hospitals.