Overcrowding continues at almost all hospitals around the country

The highest number of patients waiting was at University Hospital Limerick with 73 waiting for a bed.

Hospital overcrowding continued on Monday with 523 patients without a bed in facilities around the country, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said.

Only four hospitals out of the 32 monitored by the INMO had enough beds for their patients.

The highest number of patients waiting was at University Hospital Limerick with 73 waiting, followed by Cork University Hospital at 52 and St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin at 50.

Parents of young children also continue to face delays in accessing beds as 13 children were without a bed at 8am on Monday.

Other Munster-based hospitals facing challenges include Bantry hospital, where six patients could not get a bed, and Ennis hospital, where five patients were without a bed. 

Neither of these hospitals have an emergency department.

At University Hospital Waterford trolley numbers remained lower than many other hospitals of a similar size with three patients waiting for a bed.

The HSE continues to advise patients who do not have life-threatening or emergency conditions to consider other options for care. 

These include local injury units which can offer stitches, x-rays, and treat injuries such as broken bones, dislocations, and minor burns.

The HSE website advises these are free to attend for people with medical cards or anyone with a referral letter from a doctor, GP, or emergency department (ED).

Otherwise, the fee is €75 compared to the €100 fee for attending an ED without a referral letter.

There are 14 injury units around the country including those in Mallow, Bantry, at the Mercy Hospital in Cork city, Ennis, Cashel, Nenagh, and in St John’s hospital in Limerick city.
However this still leaves many regions without access to such a unit, and patient advocates have raised concerns around the opening times, calling for these to be expanded.