Real progress being made as 2013 national trolley figures are 32% lower than in 2011
Fine Gael TD for Cork South Central, has today (Thursday) welcomed the reduction in the trolley figures for the first nine months of the year at Cork University Hospital, which are 40% lower than they were for the same period in 2011.
This improvement has been replicated across the country with the national figures recording a substantial 32% reduction, which in real terms means there were 21,300 fewer people on trolleys this year compared to 2011.
“In 2006, when the trolley wait figure reached 500, the Minister for Health Mary Harney, declared the situation a ‘national emergency’. In the final months before Fianna Fáil was ousted from Office, that figure reached 569 as the crisis spiralled out of all control.
“On coming to Office, Minister Reilly immediately set about addressing this issue in a bid to reduce the unacceptable number of patients being forced to endure a hospital stay on a trolley. He did this by establishing the Special Delivery Unit, which was specifically charged with tackling this long standing problem.
“Today’s figures are proof that this initiative is working and I am delighted to see that the number of people on trolleys at Cork University Hospital for the first nine months of 2013 has been reduced by 39.97%, compared with the same period in 2011.
“The figures reveal that so far in 2013, there were 3,157 people recorded on trolleys at Cork University Hospital. That figure is down from 3,378 in 2012 and 5,259 in 2011. When direct comparisons are made to 2011, the trolley figures for this year have been reduced some 39.97%. When compared to last year, we see that trend is clearly continuing in a positive direction with a reduction of 6.5% being recorded.
“I am not for one minute suggesting that having 3,157 people on trolleys is acceptable; it is not. However, it is encouraging to see that real progress is being made in tackling this issue.
“I am delighted to see that, despite budgetary constraints and the economic challenges that are faced by all Departments, the Health Minister has gotten to grips with the trolley crisis. I commend all those involved with the Special Delivery Unit for their hard work and effort in bringing matters in this area under control and for the positive impact they are having on patients’ hospital stays at Cork University Hospital.”