There were 886 patients treated every 24 hours in Tallaght University Hospital in 2020, according to the hospital’s annual report for the year.
The average age of admission was 52 for males and 48 for females.
In 2020, there were 227,890 OPD visits, (down 9% on the previous year), 16,931 in-patient admissions (down 5%), 5,621 surgeries and procedures (down 32%) and 21,371 day case procedures, excluding dialysis (down 12%),
A total of 260,000 medications were dispensed during the year, 22.6 million tests carried out in the lab, 134,478 diagnostic images taken (of which 7,588 were community radiology)and 378,367 text message reminders were send out for OPD appointments.
Chairman of the Board, Mr. Liam Dowdall said that as a country, health service and a hospital they hadnever before experienced a year like 2020. “It was a year of significant and unprecedented pressure on our services and our staff and yet the management team and staff achieved so much.This,is I believe,an incredible testament to their commitment to the Hospital and People Caring for People to Live Better Lives.
CEO, Lucy Nugent said she would like to pay tribute and thank every single member of staff “who rose to the challenges of the pandemic with professionalism, dedication and good humour with the indomitable Tallaght team spirit shining throughout. “I could not be more proud or humbled by the lengths staff have gone to ensuring services were adapted, maintained and restarted as soon as it was safe to do so. In addition, I would like to thank the many local and national businesses, as well as the local community, that supported us through many acts of kindness, donations and support. Our academic and community partners,CHO7 and Trinity College Dublin, also supported us in providing access to alternative accommodation for vulnerable services such as our Oncology day service that relocated to the nearby Russell Building.
“Our Children’s Health Ireland at Tallaght colleagues generously vacated their footprint in the Hospital to support us in coping with the peak of the pandemic, temporarily transferring their services to their sister hospitals. We were delighted to welcome them back and we look forward to the new OPD and Urgent Care Centre opening on the Tallaght campus in 2021. Also thank you to our student nurses, medical students and graduates who stepped up and assisted us when we needed them.
“Despite COVID-19, there was positivity during the year with the completion of several projects aimed at improving patient access which is the Hospital’s overarching strategic priority. These included the opening of the Vartry Renal Unit, Reeves Day Surgery Centre, opening of Tymon North beds and the commencement of the ICU expansion. To have delivered these capital projects is a significant achievement given the circumstances and are all an integral part of the implementation of the TUH 2019-2024 strategic plan“.
“Thanks to the support of the national Sláintecare Programme, five projects, aimed at providing care in the community, continued during the pandemic which reduced hospital admissions and was welcomed at a time when patients were reluctant to attend hospital due to a fear of COVID“.
