Numbers on trolleys in Naas Hospital halved in 2 years

11th February 2013

Fine Gael TD for Kildare North, Anthony Lawlor, would like to commend the doctors, nurses and all the staff in Naas General Hospital for their efforts in halving the number of patients waiting on trolleys in the hospital over the last two years.

“I was delighted to learn from figures released today that the number of people on trolleys in January 2013 compared with January 2011 has been reduced by almost 52%. In January 2011 555 people were waiting on trolleys at Naas General Hospital; that figure just two years later stands at 267. Whilst the Government aims to lower this number even further going forward, the hospital must be congratulated on a job well done to date.

“In June 2011, the Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly TD, set up the Special Delivery Unit (SDU), the aim of which is to improve performance in the health service, with a focus on reducing the number of patients waiting on trolleys in our hospitals and also reducing waiting list times. We are now seeing real results in terms of each area.

“There has been a reduction of 24% in the number of people on trolleys across the country, with 20,352 fewer patients on trolleys nationally in 2012 than in 2011. This success is being replicated in other parts of the health service, with a reduction of 98% in the number of adults waiting more than nine months for inpatient and day-case surgery during the same time.

“We have always said that this Government’s ambitious programme of reform and cost control would not be implemented overnight. However, we are now seeing real results in terms of how our hospitals operate. And the work will continue; once the SDU meets its stated targets, new, shorter targets are then being set so that hospitals are encouraged to keep improving. The reduction in the number of people on trolleys in Naas General Hospital means a better hospital experience for the sick people of Kildare. I look forward to the continuation of this work and to the future delivery of a better health service for all our people.”

Ends