Patients in nine hospitals in Ireland were often treated in the wrong places, sometimes corridors, in situations where it was “unclear” who was supposed to be providing their care, a clinical review has found.
It warned of the potential for people to receive inappropriate specialist input and recommended specific wards be used to avoid so-called “safari rounds” where consultants must seek out scattered patients.
The independent review team consisted of clinical and management experts from Scotland and England who undertook a programme of visits between August and November, 2019.
“The review team witnessed widespread boarding and outliers – any bed, anytime, anywhere and including mixed gender,” the document said.
“This does not create extra capacity, leads to safari rounds, increases length of stay, introduces harm by non-specialist care and increases staff absenteeism.”
Although acknowledging often excellent work by staff, the report was commissioned to examine non-scheduled care at nine hospitals found to be “under the greatest pressures” during the winter season of 2018/2019. These had “significant numbers” of patients waiting for long periods on trolleys.
Source: The Irish Times, 4 April 2022
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