Tallaght Hospital takes app initiative amid overcrowding crisis

Tallaght Hospital has released a new visitor smartphone app with hopes to improve facilities amid a huge bed-shortage crisis.

A recent event attended by the hospital’s senior management saw the launch of a new Android and iOS app, which will provide users with information on the hospital’s services including ward and site maps, facilities and consultant information.

The hospital is the first in Ireland to launch its own smartphone application.

‘Globally the trend in the provision of public services is increasingly migrating to mobile and individual person-centred engagement. Healthcare is no different,’ said the hospital’s director of ICT David Wall.

‘Engaged patients are better patients and this app helps patients to arm themselves with a lot of important information which can help them get the most of their treatment.’

The hospital is currently suffering from large overcrowding, one of many in the republic, with waiting periods exceeding 24 hours and many adult patients being placed into paediatric wards as a result of bed shortage.

The government commented saying health services are doing all they can to cope with the dire circumstances and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he will be happy to accept the new Cabinet proposal of introducing 2,500 more hospital beds by 2031 at their end of the week meeting.

The app will be the latest in a series of tech innovations the hospital is undertaking to modernise its infrastructure following the release of their remote-controlled robot ‘Lucy’, which is used to connect doctors to patients.

Prepared and edited by Arthur Velker. Follow on Twitter here.

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