Over 75's enduring 24-hour ED waits at Naas General Hospital

Fianna Fáil TD for Kildare North, Frank O’Rourke claims that 851 people aged over 75 have waited on trolleys or on chairs in Emergency Departments at Naas General Hospital since the start of the year.

This is he states a 34% increase in the figures in just under a year. 

Never before have so many elderly people waited on trolleys for in excess of 24 hours, he stated.

He said, “The latest figures are devastating. In October alone, there were 69 older people on trolleys in Naas, one of the worst figures in the country. Nationally the number has skyrocketed to 13,466.

 “These figures have never been seen before and simply wouldn’t happen in the rest of Europe so why are the Government standing by as it happens here?

 “The solutions are there – safe staffing levels for nurses, equip GPs to treat people at home or in their communities, ensure that home care packages are in place, so patients can be safely discharged, back to their own homes where they can be safe and comfortable.

“Every one of these is a vulnerable person, often waiting in pain, in fear, in desperation. It’s nothing short of appalling that they are expected to wait in such conditions,” he concluded.