Number of patients on trolleys in UHL still in triple digits

Overall, there are 624 patients without a bed in hospitals around the country. Of these, 12 are under the age of 16

Thu, 08 Feb, 2024 - 11:55

Michelle McGlynn

The number of patients waiting for beds in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has dropped, but remains over 100.

On Wednesday, the hospital broke its record for overcrowding for the third time in just two weeks with 150 people on trolleys.

This has improved but as of 8am on Thursday morning, there were still 120 people without a bed.

The figure is almost double that of the second most overcrowded hospital, Cork University Hospital (CUH), which has 63 people on trolleys.

Following CUH is University Hospital Galway with 54.

Overall, there are 624 patients without a bed in hospitals around the country. Of these, 12 are under the age of 16.

Six hospitals recorded zero patients waiting on beds — Bantry General Hospital, University Hospital Waterford, the Midland Regional Hospitals in Portlaoise and Tullamore, Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Ennis, and Nenagh General Hospital.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has once again called for measures to be immediately put in place to improve patient flow in hospitals.

INMO assistant director of industrial relations for the Midwest and Western regions Mary Fogarty said members had repeatedly highlighted conditions as unacceptable and dangerous for patients.

Ms Fogarty called on the HSE and UL Hospital Group to "take targeted measures immediately to protect working nurses in these departments and wards".

"Reassuring words are not enough, describing how bad it is on the Dooradoyle campus is not enough, we need to see lasting measures to alleviate the constant levels of overcrowding."

In response to a request for comment, UL Hospital Group said as UHL continues to experience "very high levels of activity", members of the public are being asked to consider "all available care options" before presenting to the ED.

It added UHL is currently "at its highest state of escalation" and surge capacity had been opened at UHL and across our hospitals. Elective activity is being reviewed "on a daily basis".

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