'ED crisis has led to more deaths'

Four years to the week since Health Minister Mary Harney declared emergency department (ED) overcrowding a national emergency, the crisis is worse than ever, according to hospital consultants.

The consultants claim that the continuing problems in EDs has led to unnecessary patient deaths and illness.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) says despite the declaration of an emergency and the setting up of a taskforce in 2006, ED overcrowding has since got worse.

The IAEM points out that a record number of patients on trolleys - 500- was recorded on January 20 this year.

It says continued ED overcrowding is resulting in increased patient mortality and morbidity and is resulting in increased length of hospital stay.

The IAEM says the HSE's answer to the problem is to cut bed numbers this year by 1,000.

"Four years ago the Minister declared that solving the ED overcrowding issue would be the benchmark by which her performance as Minister for Health and Children would be judged. Let her do the maths. "

[Posted: Thu 25/03/2010]