Hospital A&E swaps trolleys with other wards

One of the country’s largest hospitals is having to “exchange” trolleys with other wards to keep up with emergency department demand and is moving some patients to areas where they will not be counted, it has been claimed.

Staff at Cork University Hospital have claimed these measures are being taken as a direct result of chronic problems in the wider health service, budget cuts, and staff shortages.

Speaking under condition of anonymity after 57 people were on trolleys on Tuesday, individuals claimed that, on some days, CUH’s emergency department does not have enough trolleys to cope with demand.