More than 11,000 people waited on hospital trolleys in April

generic stock news University Hospital Limerick health

More than 11,000 people — including more than 250 children — were admitted to Irish hospitals without a bed during April, according to new figures.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's (INMO) trolley count for April shows 11,070 patients spent time on trolleys at hospitals over the past four weeks. Of these, 258 were children.

University Hospital Limerick, which has grappled with persistent overcrowding over the past number of years, admitted 1,971 people without a bed over this time period, the highest total of any hospital in the country.

University Hospital Galway was the second most overcrowded hospital in April with 1,208 patients waiting on trolleys.

At Cork University Hospital, 1,096 patients spent time on trolleys, while 650 and 594 patients respectively were admitted without a bed to St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin and Letterkenny University Hospital.

INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the level of overcrowding seen in hospitals nationwide in April showed that the HSE had “not learned any lessons when it comes to reducing the number of patients on trolleys.

“The number of patients admitted without a bed only went below 400 on any given day on one occasion, and over 600 patients were on trolleys on five occasions over the course of the month,” she said.

“By any standard this is unacceptable but to see this type of overcrowding during a month when it is traditionally quieter is a clear indicator that the HSE’s current plans are not working.” 

Ms Ní Sheaghdha also said her organisation’s members were reporting that challenges associated with hospital overcrowding were being worsened by the HSE’s recruitment moratorium which, she said, was “making it impossible to staff any ward safely or to expand nursing services into the community to develop the much needed services as set out in Sláintecare".