Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny has said there is a critical need for additional medical beds in Sligo University Hospital and pointed out that despite Fianna Fáil promising 80 new beds for the hospital in 2011, that nine years later these beds had never materialised.
 
Martin Kenny said:

“Sligo University Hospital was among the top ten for trolley figures in 2019. This is due to an ongoing lack of capacity at the hospital.

“Sick patients in Sligo, Leitrim, South Doneal, north Roscommon and west Cavan are being forced to wait longer for treatment due to this lack of capacity. We also need to get patients off trolleys. It’s the least they deserve.

“Sligo University Hospital has been put in a position where it has had to publicly apologise to patients waiting for admission to a hospital bed.

“Numbers attending Sligo Hospital continues to increase as the population grows.

”The number of patients aged 75 years and over, who are presenting at the hospital has been rising year-on-year, in line with changes in the population.

“Older patients may have more complex care requirements, are more likely to need to be admitted to hospital for treatment and will also have a longer length of stay in hospital.

“There is a critical need now to address bed capacity at Sligo Hospital.

“Fianna Fáil promised 80 new beds for the hospital in 2011. Nine years later these beds still haven’t materialised.

“Meanwhile, Fine Gael came to office with a promise to end the scandal of trolleys in our Accident and Emergency departments. But last year was the worst on record and this year has started out even worse again.
 
“Neither Fine Gael, nor Fianna Fáil can be trusted to deal with the crisis in our hospitals.

“Since Fine Gael came to office in 2011, Sinn Féin has been telling them that the solution to hospital overcrowding is more capacity and more staff.
 
“Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have shown that they are not up to the challenges in the health services. It is time for change.”
ENDS