11th July 2018: Tallaght University Hospital has published its annual report for 2017 which highlights the continued high standards of care being maintained by the Hospital despite sustained pressure to meet increasing demands with less resources.
Year on year, the Hospital has experienced an increase in emergency activity but in 2017, attendances to the adult emergency department exceeded 50,000 for the first time since opening, representing a 2% increase since 2016. In total, there were over 83,100 attendances by adults and children to the ED in 2017. The report also shows a big increase in the number of adult inpatient emergency admissions from 15,788 in 2016 to 16,349 in 2017.
According to the CSO, it is estimated that 22% of the population will be over the age of 65 by 2041 presenting considerable challenges to the healthcare system. Locally, the projected population is set to grown by 322% over the course of the next 15 years and the 2017 Annual Report highlights this as one of the biggest challenges facing the hospital with a 7% increase in ED attendance by those aged 75 and over.
Overall, the Hospital continues to see in excess of 424,000 patients per annum, representing a combination of 271,052 outpatients, 25,281 inpatients and 45,186 day case admissions.
As an academic teaching partner of Trinity College Dublin, the continued emphasis on education and learning in all forms is evident in the 2017 annual report. The report showcases how the Hospital worked closely with TCD as well as other research and academic partners and Hospital Foundations to facilitate key research. The opening of the Meath Trinity Laboratory represented a key development in the hospital’s research activity.
Works continued in 2017 to refurbish the hospital infrastructure with particular focus on the in-patient wards. In September, the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board commenced work on the new replacement building for hospital staff that will facilitate the new Children’s Hospital Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Centre.
The Hospital continued to be successful at recruiting and retaining staff, employing 3,119 people from 41 different nationalities in 2017 who provide patient care across 13 different Directorates both directly and indirectly. In total, 158 staff were recruited into the nursing directorate while 21 consultants across a number of specialties.
David Slevin, Chief Executive Office of Tallaght University Hospital said, “The 2017 Annual Report shows once again that the Hospital is continuing to celebrate many achievements and meet growing demands despite sustained pressure with less resources. The Hospital coped well as the impact of an ageing population became even more apparent in 2017 with an increased number of patients aged 75 and over presenting to the Hospital in emergency situations and being admitted. 2017 saw key developments take place in the Hospital’s research activity, in particular with the opening of the Meath Trinity Laboratory and the relocation of the Institute of Population Health to the nearby Tallaght Health quarter. There have been many positive achievements to celebrate over the past year and I want to thank all of the staff who put the ethos of ‘People Caring for People’ into practice every day.”
Liam Dowdall, Tallaght University Hospital Chairman said, “The 2017 annual report reflects the progress being made in clinical services both in terms of improvements in patient pathways and developments in the academic and research arenas and is reflective of the Hospital’s overarching Clinical Services Strategy 2016 – 2018. As one of the largest employers in the Tallaght area we are cognisant of our responsibility as a member of the wider community and it is fantastic to see this reflected in a number of community initiatives.”
The Tallaght University Hospital annual report can be found here:
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About Tallaght University Hospital
Tallaght University Hospital is one of Ireland’s largest acute teaching hospitals, providing child-health, adult, mental health and age-related healthcare on one site. The hospital has 495 adult beds and 67 paediatric bed with over 3,000 people on staff. The Hospital is a provider of local, regional and national specialities. It is also a national urology centre, the second largest provider of dialysis services in the country and a regional orthopaedic trauma centre.
Tallaght University Hospital is one of the two main teaching hospitals of Trinity College Dublin - specialising in the training and professional development of staff in areas such as nursing, health and social care professionals, emergency medicine and surgery, amongst many others. Tallaght University Hospital is uniquely part of both the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group and the Children’s Hospital Group which serves a population of over 1.2 million across seven counties.
A new satellite centre is to be built at Tallaght University Hospital as part of the National Children’s Hospital project as a key element of an integrated clinical network for paediatric services nationally.
The Hospital’s Emergency Departments catered for 50,286 Adult Attendances and 32,886 Paediatric Attendances in 2017. A further 291,483 patients were treated through the Hospital’s adult and paediatric outpatient clinics in 2017. The Hospital’s operations are supported by 200 general practitioners in surrounding communities.
