Trolley numbers down significantly on Paddys weekend - the fix was rostering...

Yes and one of the fundamental problems is the staff’s resistance to change.

…burn out rates in the care sector are amongst the highest rates, if not the highest rates, compared to all other sectors, this is one of the main reasons for resistances to changes amongst its workers, they know this, theyve experienced it themselves, theyve watched their co-workers experience it, this is largely due to the prolonged psychological stresses induced from their working environment, they actually need far more down time, holiday time, compared to all other sectors, by providing them with this increased paid leave, everyone would benefit!

And my point is, to provide that level of cover you need more frontline staff…….

Where there are unions, there are problems.

Im giving up trying to argue with you.

Reading back over your previous points, I think we are actually arguing on the same side, but some of your wording was very confusing.

Unless every weekend is Paddy's day or Christmas week then it is sustainable. Many businesses around the country have all hands on deck a few days of the year. Or even for a few weeks depending on the industry.

I don't think unions would be against hiring more front line staff, doctors and consultants?

I may have have picked you up wrong alright - apologies.

My point - more frontline staff required to roster for 24/07/365. There needs to be some thought put into why so many people end up in a and e over the weekend in the first instance (lack of proper health care in the community maybe) and enhancing the A and E environment specificilly.

one query i would have is what happens on the 2 days that the Consultants now get off having worked the two days at the weekend? surely the figures will suffer then or do they employ 20% more admin and nurses/Consultants to work these extra long weekends for cover over 365 days.

I doubt the HSE has actually factored in this but headline looks good for one bank holiday at least.

You cannot put people in an unoccupied room. By room I don't mean a little private room or cubicle in a ward. That is a monitored location within the ward.

But you can't just open up a big room, stick beds in and call it a ward with no one to monitor the patients.

Also in a ward you need a certain number of nurses per patient. So sometimes in a step down ward it might be a 20 bed ward but you are only allowed use 15 beds

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have found our problem.

Triage has nothing to do with the trolley crisis though. You are not on a trolley until after triage and you don't see a consultant until after triage either.

Hopefully things like the Laya clinics will help with the concussion/x-ray people but there is little or no services outside of A&E after 5/7pm so I'm not sure where this "70%" is gonna go.

I'm not sure it's still the case that you can't get and x-ray or MRI on the weekend. Last time I was with a family member in A&E we got both done at 3am.