Drogheda Hospital has highest number of people stuck on trolleys – Coffey

Fianna Fáil General Election candidate for Louth Emma Coffey has said it is utterly unacceptable that overcrowding levels at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda have been allowed to spiral out of control.

Ms Coffey made the comments after figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that Drogheda Hospital has the highest number of people waiting on trolleys (Thursday, 19th November).

“Patients who avail of services at Drogheda Hospital will be well aware of the growing overcrowding crisis at Drogheda Hospital. The problem has been persistent for months now, and all the indications are that it is getting worse. The crisis has been well flagged with the Government at this stage, but we are yet to see any proper co-ordinated effort to alleviate the pressure on Emergency Departments,” said Emma.

“Overcrowding and long waiting lists are problematic across the country, but the issue is particularly prevalent in Drogheda. The Emergency Department in Drogheda currently has the highest number of people waiting on trolleys in the entire country. This is becoming a worrying trend at this stage. It’s distressing for patients and their loved ones. People expect better from their health service.

“This week we discovered that the Government essentially has no plan for the health service. Minister for Health Leo Varadkar confirmed that he was abandoning his party’s health policy and key election pledge to introduce mandatory Universal Health Insurance. Fianna Fáil has long argued that the plan is unworkable, but it took the Government nearly five years to realise this.

“All across the country, health is in chaos. This is particularly prevalent in Louth. This has development over the last four years, as the Government passed dishonest budgets and lied about the imminent arrival of Universal Health Insurance. It’s time for Minister Varadkar to actually resolve the issues at hand instead of trying to implement plans and schemes which are clearly unworkable,” said Emma.