191 hospital patients in Ireland waiting for beds

Nearly 50 people were waiting in UHL. File picture. 

191 people admitted to hospital in Ireland are waiting for beds this morning according to the Irish Nurse and Midwives Organisation's (INMO) trolley watch. 

156 patients are waiting in emergency departments across the country while 35 people are waiting on other wards in hospitals. 

This is down from a peak earlier this week of 259 patients without a bed.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) had the most patients waiting with 35 people in the emergency department on trolleys. 

14 patients in UHL were waiting on other wards in the hospital. 

Cork University Hospital (CUH) followed UHL closely with 30 admitted patients waiting in the emergency department for a bed. 

20 people were waiting in the emergency department of University Hospital Kerry followed by 10 people in the emergency department of Sligo University Hospital. 

The latest figures from the INMO follows reports there are no available intensive care beds in CUH.

CUH and the Mercy Hospital are among 13 acute hospitals across the country without any available ICU beds this week as Covid-19 infections and hospital admissions continue to soar.

Dr Colm Henry, Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE, said a deal with private hospitals for extra surge capacity to treat Covid-19 cases is underway.

Currently, 238 people with Covid-19 are being treated in Irish hospitals this morning.

This has increased since yesterday morning when the figure was 234 - while last night the number of patients had dipped to 214.