With weeks to run to peak flu season, hospitals are in the grip of a system-wide crisis as the nation’s emergency departments (ED) plunge deeper into chaos.

Emergency medicine consultant Fergal Hickey has described escalating trolley numbers as a failure in planning by the HSE and the Department of Health.

Chronic overcrowding continued across the country’s hospitals as 504 admitted patients languished on trolleys in emergency departments and wards today.

A 24-hour stoppage looks set to go ahead after talks between SIPTU, the HSE and Department of Public Expenditure at the Workplace Relations Commission yesterday failed to reach an agreement.

Chronic overcrowding continued across the country’s hospitals as 531 admitted patients languished on trolleys in emergency departments and wards today.

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A specialist in emergency medicine has said that the escalating cost of the National Children’s Hospital is going to have an impact on the health system for years to come.

In recent days Minister for Health Simon Harris acknowledged that thousands of extra beds are needed at acute hospitals or community facilities if anticipated demand is to be met.

While hospitals have many problems, the care given by emergency medicine specialists has brought great benefits to society, writes Fergal Hickey

Nurses have been instructed to ignore a HSE directive that changes the way in which agency staff are booked in circumstances where adhering to it could compromise patient safety.

Latest: A spokesperson for the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine has said that the HSE "didn't seem to care much about the impact" of the wildcat strikes at emergency departments.

A number of doctors failed to present for work at emergency departments (EDs) yesterday in protest at a HSE directive intended to cap the pay of locums.

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine has warned that patients are dying needlessly - because of the state of the health sector.

A €40m plan to deal with the anticipated surge in hospital activities over the winter has been described as a “drop in the ocean” by doctors at a time when operations are already being cancelled and daily trolley figures frequently exceed 400.

Nine hospitals around the country, including the Mercy University Hospital in Cork, face losing their emergency trauma services.

Mark Evans reports on the hazards in the home that can result in devastating injuries for children

Doctors in emergency medicine have welcomed a new children’s triage system that will be in use in all emergency departments by the end of the year.

Trampoline and bouncing castles are causing preventable accidents that are clogging up our emergency departments.

Patients will continue to die needlessly on trolleys in overcrowded emergency departments until politicians do what needs to be done, a consultant in emergency medicine warned yesterday.

The failure to elect a Taoiseach in the Dáil yesterday has turned a bizarre situation into a farce.

If two former health ministers like Varadkar and Martin can’t knock their heads together across the negotiating table and sort our health system in 2016 we have no right to call ourselves developed, democratic or free, writes Victoria White

The HSE is only acting now to ensure that complex surgery no longer takes place at the Midland Regional Hospital, despite saying years ago that surgical services at the hospital should cease, it has emerged.

LEO Varadkar is ashamed, and well he might be. On Thursday, following the publication of a report into the deaths of five babies at Portlaoise hospital, the health minister proclaimed himself ashamed of the treatment of patients there.

DESPITE promises by the Government, Health Minister Leo Varadkar, and HSE management, the issue of overcrowding in the nation’s hospitals continues to worsen.

Hospitals risk seeing the “most vulnerable” people in society being “picked off” through needless flu-linked deaths unless they take urgent action to address the emergency department overcrowding crisis.

A widespread nurses’ strike across the country’s major accident and emergency departments is increasingly likely following a decision to extend a ballot for industrial action to hospitals plagued by emergency department overcrowding.

Opposition parties are demanding a statement from the Minister for Health as hospital overcrowding hits a new record.

Doctors working in emergency medicine have rejected claims that they are sending patients home who should be in hospital.

A hospital consultant is warning using cocaine just once can be enough to kill you.

A DUBLIN hospital whose emergency department (ED) was described as a “dangerous place” has been given until Monday to come up with measures to reduce the risk to patients.

EVEN longer waiting times in hospital emergency departments are inevitable from next month, the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) has warned.

PLANS to close or limit accident and emergency departments across the country are being considered by the Health Service Executive.

DOCTORS have claimed vital emergency department units & are being over- stretched because of “woefully inadequate” staff and low locum cover.

One of Ireland's leading doctors is accusing the HSE of failing to cut accident and emergency waiting times.

EMERGENCY medicine doctors have claimed conditions in hospital A&E departments are returning to crisis point.

THE health service is facing into a weekend of turmoil with hospitals across the country failing to cope after just three days of the work-to-rule by nurses.