Total for first three months of 2018 greater than ALL of 2017
Figures released to Fianna Fáil, show that people in their mid to late 70’s continue to endure over 24 hour waits in Tallaght Hospital despite the Government continuing to promise improvements in our Emergency Departments.
Commenting on the figures, Deputy Curran said, “Almost 1,000 over 75’s had to wait over 24 hours in Tallaght Emergency Department in the first three months of 2018.
“These figures are shocking and disgraceful. Incredibly, the total nationally across all Emergency Departments is 7,164 for January to May 2018.
“The HSE target is that all attendees aged 75 years and over attending Emergency Department’s would be discharged or admitted within 24 hours of registration. This is a target that already sets the bar very low and the worsening so far in 2018 is just appalling.
“Surely to force 7,164 over 75’s to wait so long in an Emergency Department is a form of elder abuse. It can only be seen as a breach of basic human rights and dignity.
“On top of this it must surely be compounding the health issues that brought them to an Emergency Department in the first place. My understanding is that any wait longer than six hours can have an adverse impact, so it is likely that one wait of 24 hours plus could well produce another one for the same patient in due course.
“We need to break this vicious cycle and the recommendations of the bed capacity review and the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons must be acted on as a matter of urgency,” concluded Deputy Curran.
