617 without a bed amid 'summer trolley crisis', says INMO
There are 617 patients on trolleys in hospitals around the country this morning, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has reported that 617 patients are currently without a bed in hospitals across the country, highlighting a severe trolley crisis in healthcare facilities. The situation is particularly acute at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), where 130 patients are occupying trolleys. In total, 388 patients are waiting on trolleys in emergency departments nationwide, while 229 are waiting on trolleys in other hospital wards.
By August 5th last year, INMO recorded 428 patients on trolleys in hospitals, with 277 in emergency departments and 151 in wards. INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha expressed her outrage over patients being treated on trolleys, chairs, and other inappropriate settings, emphasizing that it is an avoidable crisis during one of the hottest summers on record.
Ní Sheaghdha also noted the growing burden on healthcare workers, with morale at UHL particularly low due to the ongoing issues. The HSE TrolleyGar figures indicate 408 patients on trolleys in hospitals, with surge capacity at 551. Emergency departments hold 272 patients on trolleys, and ward trolleys accommodate 136. UHL's overcrowding is likened to a never-ending Groundhog Day, with over 80 patients on trolleys across the hospital daily.
Despite a new unit opening in October, INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations for the Midwest, Mary Fogarty, stated that it has not significantly improved the situation and called for an independent examination of presentations and admission decisions at UHL. The Regional Executive Management Team (REMT) of the HSE Mid West attributed the overcrowding to a long-standing structural mismatch between patient demand and available capacity, confirming that UHL lacks sufficient acute hospital beds for its population.
They emphasized that the issues are primarily about capacity rather than operational performance and warned that INMO's recent commentary risks misrepresenting the challenges faced by the hospital.
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