IRELAND DROPS DOWN INTERNATIONAL RANKINGS FOR HEALTH SERVICES
Ireland has taken a hit on an international ranking of health services.
The country dropped from 14th to 22nd place last year, according to the Euro Health Consumer Index.
Researchers say its because they are using waiting time information from patient groups, not official figures.
It comes as nurses at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar stage a lunchtime protest against emergency department overcrowding.
Trolley figures for last month showed an increase of 253 percent on December 2013.
INMO industrial relations officer, Derek Reilly, is urging Leo Varadkar to directly intervene.
“We need him to say that recruitment can take place immediately, that he cut out the red tape, and allow nurses and midwives to recruited to Mullingar immediately” he said.
“This won’t resolve the trolley crisis in the hospital – but it certainly would help alleviate the problem”.
“We would also ask that he open up additional beds in St Mary’s Hospital in Mullingar – some step-down beds there – and also the step-down beds could be made available in St Joseph’s Hospital in Longford” he added.
