THE BIGGEST hospital in the west yesterday had to implement an emergency plan and move patients on trolleys to wards after the emergency department was declared unsafe because of overcrowding.
The “full capacity protocol” had to be implemented at University Hospital Galway after the number on trolleys in the emergency department rose to 48.
They were unable to get beds in the hospital – some were on trolleys for three days – and the hospital was faced with a choice of closing down the emergency department or moving the trolleys on to corridors in wards.
About 20 patients on trolleys were dispersed on an average of one or two per wards throughout the hospital after the emergency department became unsafe because of overcrowding.
The order to implement the full capacity protocol was issued by the clinical director of Galway University Hospital, Dr David O’Keeffe.
He ordered the move at about noon after it became unsafe in the emergency department.
The protocol was stood down at 3.30pm once the emergency department situation had been dealt with.
This is the first time that the full protocol has been implemented at Galway University hospital, according to a statement from the Health Service Executive.
The chairman of the HSE West Forum and Fine Gael councillor for Galway city central, Pádraig Conneely, said the hospital was now at breaking point.
Mr Conneely added that extra wards in the hospital needed to be opened.