The dramatic effect of accident and emergency overcrowding on admission rates to some of the State's biggest hospitals earlier this year is revealed in new figures obtained by The Irish Times, writes Eithne Donnellan, Health Correspondent
The figures, compiled by the Eastern Regional Health Authority, show elective or planned admissions to a number of hospitals in the Dublin area were cut by more than 50 per cent when overcrowding hit crisis point in January.
The cut in elective admission rates will have had a knock-on effect on hospital waiting lists and on the waiting times for patients who need hip operations or other forms of surgery.
At Dublin's Mater Hospital elective admissions were down by 49.8 per cent in January when compared with the same month last year. It accepted 251 elective admissions in January 2003 compared to 500 in January 2002.
Overcrowding at the Mater's A&E department was so severe in mid-January it resulted in one patient having to be treated in an ambulance in the hospital car-park.
At other hospitals such as James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and St Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, elective admissions fell by more than 60 per cent in January.
Meanwhile at St Vincent's Hospital elective admissions fell by 30 per cent, at St James's they fell by 13.7 per cent and at Tallaght by 11 per cent.
Only at two hospitals did elective admissions increase. At Beaumont they increased from 498 to 539 and at Naas Hospital from 18 to 25.
The statistics also show admissions through accident and emergency departments fell at a majority of hospitals. At Beaumont Hospital they fell by 8 per cent, at St Vincent's by 15 per cent, and at James Connolly Memorial Hospital by 21 per cent.
A spokeswoman for the ERHA said the figures weren't surprising given that the authority had advised people to stay away from hospital A&E departments in mid-January unless their visit was absolutely necessary. Hospitals, which were working to 100 per cent capacity, cited the lack of community or step-down beds as part of the problem. Many patients, they said, were well enough to go to convalescent homes and nursing homes but there was a lack of such beds for them.