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http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0105/health.html

Record 569 people on trolleys in Irish hospitals

Parents' fury at recorded message on VHI babyline

Wednesday January 05 2011

PARENTS of sick children were left frustrated when the full VHI medical care line was unavailable for babies, despite being paid-up members.

Private healthcare customers in Ireland were advised that the dedicated service -- NurseLine 24/7 -- was working at limited levels at some stages over the festive season.

The service is the first port of call for many parents who are concerned about their sick children.

The NurseLine 24/7 is a confidential telephone support service which is available to fully paid-up members.

The service is staffed by qualified nurses who supply information on a wide range of medical conditions and queries and is supposed to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

However, some customers experienced difficulties when a recorded message outlined that the full service was unavailable.

The message stated that advice for one of the most vulnerable groups -- children under two years of age -- was unavailable at the present time.

VHI representatives did not answer media queries on the matter when contacted.

It is unclear how long the advice service for those under two was unavailable for parents of child members who were concerned about their health.

Since its launch in 1999, NurseLine 24/7 has handled over half a million calls.

The VHI previously outlined that it remained unique in the Irish market as the "only medical helpline offered by a private health insurer that is located in Ireland".

"The NurseLine 24/7 team collectively has a wide range of medical experience not only in areas such as maternity and paediatrics, but also cardiac care, intensive care, occupational health, orthopaedics, theatre, and accident and emergency," it said.

The top health symptoms customers call about are high temperature, vomiting, rash, diarrhoea, coughs, abdominal pain, crying children and cold or flu symptoms.

The service was particularly popular with parents calling for free out-of-hours advice on a range of topics affecting child health, with queries on swine flu near the top of the list.

And it also offers a pregnancy and paediatric support line.

The service has now expanded to more than 20 nurses working shifts to look after the healthcare enquiries of over 80,000 callers annually

When the service first launched in 1999, a small number of staff handled some 250 calls per month.

clairemurphy@herald.ie

- Claire Murphy

Surgery delayed amid flu outbreak

Wednesday, 5 January 2011

Some operations have been delayed for a week in Northern Ireland because of the flu outbreak and other winter illnesses.
Extra healthcare staff were drafted in to intensive or high dependancy care at hospitals.

The Public Health Agency said the number of swine flu cases is rapidly increasing, although we have not yet reached pandemic levels.

Health board chief executive John Compton said: "What we are doing is carefully adjusting the planned intake of patients, so that intensive care and high dependency units maintain their capacity to cater for those people who are already seriously ill, or come into hospital as new emergency cases.

"This is a practical response to changing demand and we very much welcome the understanding and assistance of patients, particularly those whose appointments will be delayed."

Steps taken to free staff include the postponement for one week of some elective surgery to enable theatre staff with the necessary skills and expertise to work in the intensive care environment. Patients affected will be contacted directly by their hospital.

Mr Compton added: "It is very much regretted that this will cause inconvenience and concern to individuals, but is essential to support the maintenance of critical care services to those patients who need it most.

"The position will be closely monitored and this decision will be reviewed next week."

Wednesday, 05 January 2011

An increasing number of beds in intensive care and high dependency units are being designated to treating flu sufferers.

Elective surgery has been postponed for one week as a result to ensure hospitals continue to meet the needs of intensive care patients.

40% of beds across Northern Ireland were occupied by patients suffering from flu and flu-like symptoms on Wednesday morning, Belfast Health and Social Care has confirmed.

Patients affected will be contacted directly by their hospital.

Board Chief Executive Mr John Compton explained that taken following advice from doctors in health trusts throughout Northern Ireland and the Public Health Agency.

He added that the surgery postponement represented a measured and appropriate response to specific service pressures, including increased rates of flu and flu like illness in the community.

"All the partner organisations are working together to ensure this is managed diligently and with the least possible disruption to services and upset to patients," he said.

"What we are doing is carefully adjusting the planned intake of patients, so that intensive care and high dependency units maintain their capacity to cater for those people who are already seriously ill, or come into hospital as new emergency cases," he continued.

The decision will be closely monitored and reviewed next week.

On Tuesday, three people in Belfast were fighting for their lives in intensive care after contracting the H1N1 strain, also known as swine flu.

Last week's concentration rate for sufferers of flu and flu-like symptoms was 135 per 100,000 people, Dr. Lorraine Doherty of the PHA confirmed.

"I'd like to stress that we are not in a pandemic situation at the moment," she told UTV.



© UTV News

5 January 2011 Last updated at 18:11

Thirty three of the 77 beds in Northern Ireland's hospital intensive care and high dependency units are occupied by people who have flu and flu like illnesses.

The figure was revealed by the Chief Executive of the Health and Social Care Board.

John Compton said the number of patients requiring beds in these units has increased.

More than 200 people are currently being treated for the virus.

The Public Health Agency (PHA) will release new figures on Thursday morning.

Mr Compton said some elective surgery will be postponed for a week in order for hospitals to "meet the need for specialist intensive care and other high-dependency services".

Patients who are affected will be contacted directly by their hospital.

'Least possible disruption'

Mr Compton said the position will be reviewed next week and said the decision was only taken following clinical advice from doctors in all of the health trusts and the PHA.

"All the partner organisations are working together to ensure this is managed diligently and with the least possible disruption to services and upset to patients," he said.

"What we are doing is carefully adjusting the planned intake of patients, so that intensive care and high dependency units maintain their capacity to cater for those people who are already seriously ill, or come into hospital as new emergency cases.

"This is a practical response to changing demand and we very much welcome the understanding and assistance of patients, particularly those whose appointments will be delayed."

We do not hold any data for hospitalisations as we do not ask the trusts for this data”

Public Health agency spokesperson

PHA
The Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said he had been informed by the board that they will be increasing the number of critical care beds.

"Up to 40 extra beds will be made available for patients and there is scope to provide more if necessary," he said.

Prioritise

"We will need to prioritise our services for the sickest. This may have an impact on operations, some of which may be postponed for a short period.

"There is no doubt that this is a particularly difficult period, but as the pressure increases the health service is responding appropriately."

The number of people found to have the H1N1 swine flu virus in NI in the week before Christmas had previously doubled to 129.

The PHA is urging all pregnant women to get the swine flu vaccine.

The Department of Health had been accused of not revealing the full extent of the flu outbreak in Northern Ireland.

Nichola Mallon of the SDLP said not enough was being done to warn the public and she understood three people were in intensive care with the virus.

Ms Mallon said that in other parts of the UK there had been a coordinated policy built around advertising the threat level and how to protect the public, but this had not happened in Northern Ireland.
In response to a query about whether there were people with flu in intensive care in Northern Ireland, the Public Health Agency (PHA) said it would "not be commenting on any hospitalisations".

"We do not hold any data for hospitalisations as we do not ask the trusts for this data," the PHA spokesperson said.

"This was different during the pandemic as different surveillance methods were used."

Five in CUH suspected of swine flu

Thursday January 06 2011

THE Heath Service Executive (HSE) has revealed that five people have been admitted to the Cork University Hospital with suspected swine flu.

5,400 new swine flu cases diagnosed this week
Updated: 17:46, Thursday, 6 January 2011

A surge in swine flu cases has been reported by the Department of Health and Children, with 5,400 new cases this week.

The Department of Health and Children has reported a doubling of human swine flu cases in the past week.

GPs have diagnosed around 5,400 new cases this week - double the number of cases found in the previous week.

26 patients are being treated in intensive care units for the virus.

The latest figures represent a rate of over 120 new cases for every 100,000 people.
Doctors expect the rates to increase further over the next few weeks with the reopening of workplaces and schools, but believe they should then start to decline.

The Department's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the number of human swine flu cases could exceed the peak seen during the pandemic in 2009. He said there is likely to be a continued rise in cases over the next two to four weeks.

During the peak of the pandemic in 2009, Ireland was seeing over 200 new cases for every 100,000 people.

No further deaths have been reported.

Northern Ireland

Latest figures from the Public Health Agency show the number of people being treated for swine flu continues to rise in Northern Ireland.

A total of 185 people had the H1N1 virus in the last week of December. This indicates an increase of 49 cases on the previous week.

The rates are highest in the 15-44 age group.

The PHA has said it is confident there will be no shortage of swine flu vaccines in Northern Ireland.

Health chiefs play down flu figures

1/6/2011 - 6:23:49 PM

Health chiefs confirmed 26 patients were tonight being treated in intensive care units for flu.

Official figures revealed 114 people have been hospitalised from influenza, including human swine flu, since the start of October.

Of those, 33, including two pregnant woman, were admitted to intensive care - where 26 remain.

Tony Holohan, chief medical officer, warned the figures would rise over the coming weeks and advised at-risk groups, including the elderly, ill and pregnant women, to be vaccinated.

But he stressed the virus was just a routine seasonal winter epidemic and not a pandemic which needed a crisis response.

“This is something we both expected and anticipated,” he added.

Dr Kevin Kelleher, head of health protection with the Health Service Executive (HSE), denied the rise in the influenza virus had impacted on A&E Departments where hundreds of patients had been left on hospital trolleys.

“Hopefully that’s because people have been heeding our message about what we have been saying about the flu, that it’s a self care issue and, in a sense, the first place they should be going is to their GP, preferably by phone,” said Dr Kelleher.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) also dismissed the HSE’s claim that increasing numbers of swine flu cases were to blame for the spike in waiting times.

Statistics showed the rate of flu infection increased significantly over recent weeks to 120 per 100,000 population, with an estimated 89% suffering from H1N1. Peak rates during last year’s pandemic, when 27 people died, was over 200 per 100,000 population.

Mr Kelleher also told people to protect themselves and others at-risk by catching coughs and sneezes in a tissue, disposing of it in a bin, and washing your hands and surrounding surfaces.

“This is a disease that is quite infectious so as soon as you are feeling unwell it is appropriate to isolate yourself in your bedroom,” he added.