It’s being claimed that the lack of hospital beds and access for patients to a number of services such as out- patient clinics is the main reasons people over the age of 75 are spending considerable periods of time in hospital waiting rooms.
Over-75’s waited an average of almost 10 hours at emergency departments throughout the country in the first seven months of this year.
Locally the average waiting time at Sligo University Hospital was above the national average with patients having to wait 11.7 hours, while at Letterkenny University Hospital the time was 7.3 hours.
According to freedom of information figures across the country, over-75s waited over 24 hours on nearly 12,000 occasions between January and July.
Donegal GP Dr Ciaran Ó Fearraigh says he’s not surprised by the figures.
Sligo Drumcliff Councillor Donal Gilroy has raised concerns with the Regional Health Forum over the waiting times for this age cohort in the past.
He says that information provided to him at a meeting of the form confirmed that 55 % of those over the age of 75 that go into Sligo University Hospital are still to be either discharged or admitted waiting 9 hours later.
The Fianna Fáil Councillor says the lack of ‘step down facilities which those aged 75 normally need to avail of to boost their recovery is also a major cause of concern.
The lack of such services disproportionally impacts the over 75’s according to Cllr Gilroy.
