More than 600 patients waiting on trolleys with 101 in Limerick

The stark figures followed a count of 626 the day before as the HSE and health experts warn of the triple effects of flu, covid-19 and RSV

The INMO defended their approach to the trolley count in the wake of critical comments by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to RTÉ.

Some 605 patients are waiting on trolleys for a hospital bed on Wednesday as pressure on the health service continues, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

The stark figures followed a count of 626 on Monday and 574 on Tuesday as the HSE and health experts warn of the triple effects of flu, covid-19 and RSV.

The INMO figures show 101 patients on trolleys alone at University Hospital Limerick, followed by University Hospital Galway with 64, and Cork University Hospital with 58.

The data also shows pressures rising in other hospitals around Limerick with four people waiting on trolleys at Ennis hospital even though this site does not have an emergency department.

Among those with few waiting were Connolly hospital in Dublin and Tullamore where no patients were without a bed and University Hospital Waterford where just two patients were waiting.

The situation at the dedicated children’s hospitals in Dublin was mixed with no children without a bed in Crumlin or Tallaght children’s sites. However, there were 11 waiting at Temple St hospital.

Trolley count

On Tuesday evening the INMO defended their approach to the trolley count in the wake of critical comments by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to RTÉ.

“The INMO has counted the number of admitted patients on trolleys, chairs and other inappropriate bed spaces since 2006. The methodology has not changed in the last 18 years. 

"These figures are widely accepted as an accurate picture of the state of overcrowding in Irish hospitals,” a spokeswoman said.

“The INMO strongly refutes any suggestion that the TrolleyWatch figures are not accurate.” 

They rejected the inference that because their count is done differently to that published by the HSE, that the union’s count is inaccurate.

“The HSE in its own trolley count is now categorising patients differently and not counting patients on trolleys who have been allocated a bed pending another person’s discharge,” the INMO said.

“The intent of this is to present better figures, which should be unacceptable to the public.” 

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The HSE’s trolley count for Wednesday showed 409 waiting on trolleys nationally.

They said 83 of these had been waiting longer than 24 hours, and this included 12 people aged over 75.

The data also shows 432 patients in surge beds. The HSE has said this means beds taken from elsewhere in the hospital to meet ED demand and that when a hospital uses surge capacity, it may cancel some planned admissions.

The HSE data also shows 378 patients have finished their hospital treatment but are unable to be discharged.

They did not share the reasons why but these could include people waiting on homecare supports, waiting for a nursing home bed or other step-down care to be provided.