Two hospitals graded 'red'

GALWAY UNIVERSITY Hospital (GUH) is one of the two worst performing hospitals in the State, according to a new survey.

The Healthstat report graded GUH and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda as the only two hospitals to get “red” in the survey’s green, orange and red grading system.

GUH falling back into the red zone for January coincided with a new chief executive of the Galway Hospitals’ Group, Bill Maher, taking up his role. He was appointed to arrest the continuing poor performance of the hospital.

Yesterday the chairman of the HSE West Forum, Cllr Padraig Conneely (FG), said: “The Healthstat report only highlights the enormous job that Mr Maher has to do to turn things around. At the moment the situation at GUH is critical.

“What Mr Maher needs to do has to be dramatic and drastic. I have met with him, and I have told him that I want to see results by October. Very, very slow progress is being made, and I wouldn’t be happy with it.”

The figures for January show that 30 per cent of patients were waiting between six and 12 hours to be admitted through the hospital’s emergency unit.

The hospital also scored red on the hospital’s waiting times for elective surgery for adults and children, while the absenteeism rate at the hospital continued to score red, with nurses recording an absenteeism rate of 8 per cent. The overall absenteeism rate was over 6 per cent.

Results for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital show that over 20 per cent of patients were waiting over 24 hours to be admitted through the hospital’s emergency unit. It also scored red for hours lost through absenteeism.

The survey found that the best performing hospitals in January were Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital, Wexford Hospital, St James’s Hospital, St Columcille’s Hospital, Cavan General General and Connolly Hospital.