The average waiting time for patients presenting in UHG’s Emergency Department is seven and a half hours, according to the HSE – and those presenting at Portiuncula had to wait just two hours less.

The figures were confirmed to Aontú leader Peadar Tóibín, as his party announced plans for a demonstration outside UHG this Saturday – demanding the HSE provide more staff for the hospital’s ED.

The political protest comes as overcrowding continued at UHG and Portiuncula, which remain under pressure from Flu, Covid and respiratory patients.

HSE figures show the number of patients in Galway’s hospitals with Covid-19 has eased. UHG was treating 17 Covid patients on Monday, and Portiuncula was treating seven.

Overcrowding remained a problem, however, with the latest Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) Trolley Watch report showing 36 patients were on trolleys at UHG’s ED yesterday (Wednesday), and there were seven on trolleys at Portiuncula in Ballinasloe. On top of that UHG had ten patients on trolleys away from the ED, and Portiuncula had eleven.

It was confirmed to Aontú – the party led by its sole TD Peadar Tóibín – that the average waiting time for patients presenting in UHG’s ED is seven and a half hours. Those presenting at Portiuncula had to wait five and a half hours on average, according to the HSE figures.

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