Published: Friday, 16th October, 2009 9:00am

No patients on trolleys this month despite Tullamore bed closures

by Danielle Harney

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Despite the bed closures introduced at Tullamore hospital during the summer, there have been no patients left waiting on trolleys so far during October.

According to the Irish Nurses Organisation, which compiles the trolley watch data every weekday, there were no patients left on trolleys in the Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore up until yesterday (Thursday October 15). However in the other Midland hospitals, Mullingar had a total of 35 patients waiting on trolleys and Portlaoise had 26 during the same period.

The HSE decided to close 15 beds in Tullamore hospital in July, as part of summer cutbacks, however the beds have yet to be put into use again. Mullingar had 16 beds closed and Portlaoise had none.

However, the INO trolley figures show that there were two extra patients on trolleys in Tullamore during September of this year, compared to the same month in 2008. The nurses' union is expecting a surge during the colder months, when flu and other viruses are more prevalent.