Ten beds at University Hospital Galway are still lying unused, despite the mounting numbers of patients waiting on trolleys at the hospital over the past week.

Padraic McCormack.

The beds, which were supplied to the hospital by the HSE last year at a cost of almost €5,000, have not been put into use due to staffing constraints, it is understood. Of the ten beds, four are located in the cardiac surgery ICU, two in the High Dependency Unit, three in the burns unit and one in the general ICU area.

If brought into commission, the new beds would greatly lessen the increasing strain on the hospital, which has contributed to higher numbers of patients being left to wait on trolleys and longer waiting times. According to figures from the Irish Nurses Organisation's 'Trolleywatch', 14 patients were left waiting on trolleys at UHG last Wednesday, while this figure increased to 29 by Thursday morning.

Galway Deputy Padraic McCormack slammed the situation as "frustrating", saying the unused beds were another example of taxpayers' money being wasted.

"Following a Dáil Question, I received information in relation to the bed situation at UHG. I understand now that ten new beds and back-up equipment and accommodation with the beds were supplied to the hospital in 2007 at a total cost of €4.6 million and those beds will not be brought into commission in 2008 as, obviously, the hospital does not have the staff to cater for those beds.

"Is this another example of wasted taxpayer's money, where facilities that are being provided at great cost are not being used? This is particularly frustrating and incomprehensible as far as UHG is concerned, where there is always a tremendous call on beds. The Dáil reply indicated that those beds were part of a phased development, which has not yet been commissioned, which means that there appears to be no plans to bring those beds into use."

Comments (1) »

Picture of the unused beds?
written by Jason, June 25, 2008

I'm not one to complain... I much prefer being sarcastic... but can we have a picture of the unused beds instead of Mr. McCormacks head?

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