Despite additional funding, the number of older patients awaiting discharge from acute hospitals in the eastern region has risen by 20 per cent compared with this time last year, the Irish Patients' Association has said.
An analysis of admissions and bed capacity by the Irish Patients' Association (IPA), based on figures provided by the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA), has found there were 406 older people awaiting discharge at the end of September. The number waiting at the same time last year was 338.
There has also been an increase in the number of chronic sick children waiting for placement in long- term care.
The IPA figures have emerged as the accident and emergency crisis in the ERHA's acute hospitals continues to worsen. With more than 400 people waiting for more appropriate long-term care places, the beds they occupy are badly needed to accommodate the acutely unwell patients waiting for days for admission in overcrowded accident and emergency units.
According to the IPA, there has been considerable variation between hospitals in the number of older patients waiting for placement during the last year. While the Mater Hospital recorded a 15 per cent drop, the number waiting for long-term care in St Vincent's increased by 27 per cent. "An additional €16 million was advanced to the ERHA to purchase packages of care for long-term patients - had these funds not been available, then the current situation would be worse," the IPA report said.
In a separate analysis, the IPA said there had been a 2 per cent increase in admissions through hospital A&E departments during the last year. After excluding figures for elective admissions it found that there was a 7.4 per cent increase at the Mater hospital, with almost 8 per cent extra A&E admissions to James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown.
The IPA said it is concerned that this could indicate that patients attending A&E are sicker than last year. However, it acknowledges that the rise may reflect an increase in the number of "other emergency" cases requiring admission as a result of cancelled elective treatment.
Commenting on the current crisis in A&E departments, the IPA chairman, Mr Stephen McMahon, said: "Patient and staff safety must be at the top of the agenda. Patients falling from trolleys and chairs injuring themselves is not acceptable. These are management responsibilities and not those of exhausted frontline staff".
According to a spokeswoman for the ERHA, its three area health boards will spend more than €75 million subventing private nursing home beds this year." This compares with €63 million spent on nursing home subvention in 2003," she said.