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Over 10,515 patients in Irish hospitals were treated in non-standard bed spaces such as trolleys or chairs in October, marking a stark indicator of the country’s worsening hospital overcrowding. The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reveal an already critical situation with the winter season – and its accompanying increase in admissions – just beginning.
The five most overcrowded hospitals in the country, according to the INMO, were:
- University Hospital Limerick with 1,876 patients
- Cork University Hospital with 1,126 patients
- University Hospital Galway with 989 patients
- St. Vincent’s University Hospital with 681 patients
- Sligo University Hospital with 663 patients
In response to the concerning statistics, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, INMO General Secretary, voiced strong concerns:
“The fact that over ten thousand sick people were treated on a trolley this October is a grim indicator for the level of overcrowding we are bound to see over the winter period.”
Ní Sheaghdha highlighted a staffing crisis across hospital departments, noting that inadequate nurse numbers in emergency departments, inpatient wards, long-term care facilities, and community services are directly worsening the overcrowding issue.
“Again this winter, our members are not assured that their safety and that of their patients is a priority. The HSE and Government must protect frontline services by lifting the recruitment embargo immediately and accelerating the hiring process,” Ní Sheaghdha urged, emphasising that delays in hiring replacements for essential nursing and midwifery posts, which can now take up to 12 months, contribute significantly to this crisis. “Without the safe level of staffing, patients cannot be assured of a safe service; this is avoidable and must be corrected immediately.”
As of today, November 1st, 441 patients remain on trolleys, according to the INMO.