Capacity of mayo ae unit needs to be doubled

A MAYO Fine Gael TD is calling for further investment in Mayo General Hospital to relieve the pressure on the hospital’s accident and emergency unit.

Deputy Michelle Mulherin said the current capacity needs to be doubled and additional medical beds need to be provided on the wards. 

The unit in Castlebar was designed to cope with 20,000 patients per year, but is now dealing with 35,000 patients per annum, and the hospital board has sent a business case to the HSE for funding to increase the capacity of the department.

Deputy Mulherin said she fully supports the need for increase investment in the unit, given the increase over the past year in the number of patients on trolleys at Mayo General Hospital.