Galway hospital 'keeping cancer patients too long'
CANCER patients in one of the main specialist hospitals in the country may be kept in for too long, according to a new study just published.
The patients at University College Hospital in Galway have an average length of stay of 29 days, compared to 19 days in some other hospitals.
The research, published in the 'Irish Medical Journal', found no evidence of discharge planning in 60pc of the admissions they looked at.
The authors, from the Department of Public Health in the HSE West and Merlin Park Hospital Galway, said there was considerable potential to make more efficient use of the beds in the hospital for cancer patients.
With an increasing number of cancer cases, it is important that patients do not stay in hospital more often or longer than necessary.
The study said reducing the length of stay would ensure that the service was better able to meet demand.
Every cancer patient should be assessed within 24 hours but the researchers found 23pc had not been seen by a doctor in that time.
Early assessment allows for an agreed plan of investigation and for care to start sooner.
A number of treatments for cancer can also be met by bringing the patient by ambulance to the hospital but not requiring them to be admitted to a bed.
This can be further improved in the future with advances in drug therapies.
The findings showed that the Galway hospital may not always be in a position to meet the demands of ambulatory care.
The study also said that there was inappropriate use of the hospital's accident and emergency department as a way of admission.
Originally published in
