The HSE says itÂ’s unacceptable for elderly patients to be waiting for hours on trolleys, but itÂ’s doing everything it can to cope with the surge in EDs.
The HSE has blamed the high numbers of patients on trolleys on the flu, and on our ageing population.
Still another 4-6 weeks of flu activity according to @HSELive. It may peak this week or next pic.twitter.com/3B3PsRWdji
— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) January 11, 2018
An estimated 18-20 thousand people had flu last week, and itÂ’s expected to peak this week or next.
According to the INMO, there were 544 patients on trolleys today.
Too early for exact figures, but around 18-20,000 people had flu last week, 15-64 year olds worst affected this time pic.twitter.com/vbTZ7TcxNi
— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) January 11, 2018
Damien McCallion, who heads up the HSE Winter Initiative, was asked about elderly patients waiting hours on trolleys:
Elective surgeries have been curtailed, but the HSE says most hospitals hadn’t scheduled these anyway, in anticipation of the January rush.
Liam Woods from the HSE isn’t happy with their performance:
