Number of patients on trolleys falls in 17 hospitals

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026 - 00:05

Niamh Griffin

The number of patients on trolleys awaiting a bed has fallen in 17 of 29 hospitals, including University Hospital Waterford, though concerns remain in other regions, new data has revealed.

The health minister and senior HSE officials are holding productivity workshops this month in a bid to tackle the issue. This has included workshops across Munster with a focus on the move towards the seven-day working system.

The Irish Patient Association has separately raised concerns about growing waiting lists for non-crisis care.

New figures released by health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill show 25% fewer people without a hospital bed after the St Brigid’s bank holiday weekend this year compared to 2025.

Some 463 people were on trolleys waiting for a hospital bed on the Tuesday after the bank holiday, according to the HSE’s count — down from the 617 on the same day last year.

Ms Carroll MacNeill also indicated “performance remains variable” across the country. Her department said:

Several hospitals, including University Hospital Waterford, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, and the Midland Regional Hospitals, continue to demonstrate excellent operational grip by maintaining safe patient flow even under pressure.

One challenge is rising demand, with an overall increase of 8%, including an 8% hike in the number of patients aged over 75 presenting with more complex conditions.

Ms Carroll MacNeill said the drop in trolley numbers came from “the continuous hard work of all healthcare staff in our urgent and emergency care services".

Other changes such as higher uptake of flu vaccine, use of RSV immunisation for babies, and virtual wards supported the hospitals, she said.

There are now seven virtual wards including at Mercy University Hospital in Cork and University Hospital Limerick.

Ms Carroll MacNeill acknowledged that “challenges remain” and said she is committed to “ongoing investment in staff, infrastructure, and innovative solutions”.

This weekend HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said all hospitals were experiencing “very high demand”.

However, he noted 24 of the 29 hospitals around the country were seeing patients within the target times.

Ambulances face “a particular demand ” amid the cold weather, he said in a video shared online, urging people to only call blue light services in emergencies.

Responding to the trolley data, the Irish Patients Association said while the improvement is welcome, full-week data shows a less clear picture.

“When combined with trolley figures for the full working week after the St Brigid’s bank holiday, which were 5.0% higher than 2025 and 7.8% higher than 2024, the trend is clear,” said association co-founder and director Stephen McMahon.

Pressure is not disappearing. It is moving through the system.

He highlighted the connection between overcrowding and long waiting lists for non-crisis care. The latter is often postponed or scheduled less frequently during the winter months to allow for crisis care.

He warned of “thousands more patients experiencing prolonged delay” based on separate data from the national treatment purchase fund.

Patients to be treated at private hospital in HSE plan to ease UHL overcrowding