Nearly 600 patients waiting for hospital beds nationwide

591 patients are currently waiting for hospital beds around Ireland. 

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation have released their daily Trolley Watch figures, revealing there are 591 patients waiting on trolleys. 

According to the INMO Trolley Watch statistics, this is the highest number of patients waiting on trolleys so far this month. 

Yesterday, May 13, there were 470 patients waiting for a bed and this number has risen to 591 in just 24 hours.

Of these 591 patients, 405 patients are waiting in Emergency Departments and 186 of them are on trolleys in hospital wards.

University Hospital Limerick has the highest number of people waiting for a bed as there are 105 patients on trolleys today. 

Cork University Hospital has 54 patients needing beds, Letterkenny has 47 patients waiting, and University Hospital Galway has 41.

In April, more than 11,070 patients, including 258 children, were admitted to hospital without a bed. 

While addressing the issue of overcrowding in Irish hospitals last month, INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, stated, “The fact that we are seeing this level of overcrowding in April is clear that the HSE have 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. 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”.

“Our members are reporting that the challenges associated with overcrowding are being worsened by the HSE’s recruitment moratorium which is 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”.