Trolley watch

The Trolley Watch figures, released on a daily basis by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), make for grim reading.

The figures can vary but on Wednesday, a total of 496 patients were lying on trolleys in hospitals the length and breadth of the country. Ten of these patients were on trolleys at Ennis hospital and 14 were in Limerick Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
Behind these cold statistics lie tales of misery and suffering for hundreds of patients all over the country who, without available beds, have to endure long hours of lying on trolleys in corridors or other public areas, often without so much as a screen to protect their dignity. It can be distressing for families of seriously ill patients to see them exposed to the public glare when they are at their most vulnerable.
The seriousness of the situation was highlighted this week when the INMO claimed the number of patients on trolleys in Ennis has doubled over the past year. Their statistics show the number of Ennis patients on trolleys, awaiting an in-patient bed, jumped from 115 for the first three months of 2010 to 313 for the corresponding period this year.
An accusation of producing “inaccurate” figures for Ennis has, however, been levelled against the INMO by the Mid-West Health Service Executive.
“The figure of 313 is inaccurate as it reflects nothing more than the cumulative figure by which we exceeded our bed complement during the first quarter. It is a gross inaccuracy to assume that all these people were on trolleys. Ennis hospital utilise up to 12 overflow beds before we have anyone on a trolley,” a spokesperson said.
Rebutting this, a union representative said nurses only counted the number of patients who were admitted to hospital on a trolley and were waiting for an in-patient bed in a ward. She stressed nurses did not count the number of patients who were in “overflow beds” waiting to gain admission to a bed in a ward.
Whatever about the fine details as to how the figures are arrived at, the fact is that we are dealing with hundreds of patients on a daily basis. It is appalling and unacceptable that so many patients’ experience of hospital includes a stint on a trolley.

Bidding for the Fleadh
Considered to be the spiritual home of traditional Irish music and dance, Clare is right up there on the list of must visit places for artistes and their followers.
Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann is the greatest showcase of traditional Irish culture and it would be a marriage made in heaven if the event is to come to the county capital for the third time in its history.
The Abbey branch of Comhaltas Ceóltoirí Éireann has applied to host Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2012 and a diverse group representing cultural, business, local authority and tourism interests, through a special working group, is backing the application.
The bid has also received support from, the GAA, gardaí and Shannon Development, along with leading Clare musicians such as Noel Hill, Edel Fox and Tara Breen.
The campaign to bring the All-Ireland event back to Ennis for the first time since 1977 was formally launched at the weekend. The pitch to Comhaltas Ceóltoirí Éireann is being made under the title of the fleadh down in ennis, also the title of a famous song composed by traditional singer, Robbie McMahon after the 1956 event.
A successful bid would deliver €30million boost to Ennis and the county at large, with an estimated 200,000 visitors expected over the week-long festival.
This is a prize worth fighting for and Ennis, as it has in the past in winning the national Tidy Towns award and becoming Ireland’s Information Age Town, must convince the decision makers to come down in favour of the Banner’s county town as opposed to Sligo or Kilkenny, the two main rivals for 2012.
Involving all Clare Comhaltas branches, a ‘Sharing Clare’ concept will offer visitors a very broad insight to, and experience of, the county’s rich cultural heritage and the spectacular landscapes.
If the Fleadh has the potential to deliver a massive boost to the Clare economy, there’s a considerable expense involved in hosting the festival in the first instance. Sponsorship, revenue from events and programme sales would go some way towards breaking the back on the estimated €700,000 to bring it all together.
The working group estimates it needs to raise €200,000 from other sources (principally corporate) and the goal is to raise 85% of this by May 31 next.
Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council have allocated €40,000 from their 2011 budgets to support the Fleadh and it is intended a similar amount will be set aside in 2012 and 2013 should the application be successful.
While the All-Ireland Fleadh has not come to Ennis since 1977, the town and county have not lost touch with hosting such events. The Fleadh Nua has been a fixture on the Clare calendar of cultural events for the past 36 years, while this year Miltown Malbay will host the 39th annual Willie Clancy Summer School.
The organisational skills among local Comhaltas members are there in spades and this can, no doubt, be backed up by support from all quarters.
Ennis is also ideally situated as a Fleadh venue for patrons from all over the country and abroad. It ticks all the boxes. Clare musicians have a reputation second to none, fleadh or no fleadh, so they’re an attraction in their own right.
There’s plenty of accommodation to suit all pockets, from top hotels and B&Bs to hostels. Plans are also in train to ensure extensive caravan and camping facilities are available.
With vast improvements to the road network in recent years, Ennis is easily accessible from all parts of the country.
Shannon Airport should also be a major selling point to would be visitors from America, Britain and the Continent.
Ennis certainly has a strong case to make for hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2012. Let’s hope Comhaltas at national level see it that way.