'Abysmal situation' as 12 patients remain in Cork hospitals months after discharge

Twelve patients are still in Cork hospitals more than two months after being discharged, new HSE figures have shown.

In Cork, there are five people who have been in Cork University Hospital for two to four months after discharge and two for five to eight months after discharge, while Mercy University Hospital has two patients who have been there for two to four months and one for five to eight.

Often, people can remain in hospital after dicharge due to a lack of suitable nursing home beds for them to be moved to, or home support for them to safely return home.

The patient who has been in hospital the longest has spent nine to eleven months post-discharge in Mallow General Hospital, while there is one person in Bantry General Hospital for five to eight months.

“Delayed transfer of care occurs when a patient is ready to leave inpatient care but is still occupying a HSE-funded bed,” a HSE spokesperson said. “There are a number of possible reasons why a patient may not leave an acute setting despite being clinically discharged. These can include patients who are awaiting arrangement of suitable home support or residential care and patients with complex clinical needs or legally complex circumstances.”

Nationally, nearly 100 people have been in a hospital bed longer than two months despite being discharged: 68 for two to four months, 18 for five to eight months, four for nine to 11 months, four for 12 to 14 months, one for 15 to 17 months, one for 18 to 20 months, and two for over 24 months, with the North West having the highest amount of delayed transfers of care.

The figures were provided to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín in response to a parliamentary question.

“Almost 100 people are in hospital long after doctors have deemed them fit to leave,” said Mr Tóibín.

“Midlands Regional Hospital Tullamore and Sligo University Hospital have one patient each that have waited up to two years after discharge. That is an abysmal situation for those patients and their families, and the minister must identify those patients immediately, determine the reason for their being stuck in limbo, and address it.

“If older people have fallen between two bureaucratic stools, the HSE and the minister must immediately intervene.”