2019 was worst-ever year for hospital overcrowding, nurses union reveals

Last year was the worst-ever year for hospital overcrowding, an analysis by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reveals.

Severe overcrowding resulted in 118,367 admitted patients waiting for hospital beds — more than 1,300 were children under the age of 16.

The worst months for overcrowding last year were November (12,055), October (11,452), and September (10,641).

University Hospital Limerick was the worst-hit hospital with 13,941 patients waiting for a bed, followed by Cork University Hospital with 11,066 waiting.

The INMO blames overstaffing for a lack of capacity, pointing out that there are 411 fewer inpatient beds than a decade ago, despite a larger, older population.

INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said overcrowding is now an all-year problem that got gets worse in winter.

“The most frustrating part is that we know how to solve the problem — increase staffing and bed capacity, expand community care, and get going with the Sláintecare reforms,” she said.

“Our members are rightly appalled by the conditions in which they are forced to work and care for patients.”

Meanwhile, the Irish Patients Association found that overcrowding during the first 60 days of the winter season was even worse than in 2018.

In 2018, there were 12 days when more than 500 patients waited on trolleys, but over the same period last year, there were 44 days when the number exceeded 500 — a 366% increase.

IPA chairperson and co-founder, Stephen McMahon, said their analysis showed that 3,818 younger patients got a hospital bed ahead of those aged 75 years and over.

Mr McMahon said the elderly age group represented 52% of all patients “warehoused” on trolleys awaiting a bed on a ward for over nine hours.

“Overcrowing in our EDs is a serious patient safety issue,” he said.

“The high workload is thought to further jeopardise patient safety.

“If equity prevailed, then only 26% would have been warehoused for more than nine hours awaiting a bed on a ward,” he said.