What will this winter trolley season bring?
On any given day, there remain hundreds of patents waiting for admission to a hospital bed, placed on a trolley, chair, or other area of a hospital.
Winter trolley season remains a persistent challenge for hospitals across Ireland, with overcrowded wards and long waiting times continuing to plague the healthcare system. In 2023, a record 931 patients were admitted without a bed on a single day, 3 January, highlighting the ongoing issue. August 2023 saw the highest number of admitted patients without beds, with University Hospital Limerick leading the pack at 1,784, followed by Cork University Hospital at 830, Letterkenny University Hospital at 730, St Vincent's University Hospital at 728, and Sligo University Hospital at 710.
While the summer of 2023 brought exceptional weather, the underlying issue of hospital overcrowding has not been limited to the winter months. Capacity constraints, including a shortage of beds and staffing shortages, continue to be the primary factors contributing to the problem. The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has criticized the government's plan to roster consultants onto weekends without providing essential supporting staff and resources, arguing that this will only exacerbate the waiting list crisis.
The impact of weather on overcrowding cannot be overlooked, particularly during clinical winters and cold spells exacerbated by climate change. Heatwaves, too, pose health risks and strain emergency departments. The HSE is preparing for a robust influenza vaccination campaign to mitigate potential negative impacts, emphasizing the importance of high vaccination uptake among both the public and healthcare staff.
Despite the HSE's efforts to secure a full supply of flu vaccines, supply shortages persist, affecting private healthcare providers and those outside the high-risk groups. The shortage could potentially exacerbate overcrowding if a severe flu season occurs. Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has been advocating for the full implementation of the Public Only Consultants Contract to bolster weekend staffing and alleviate emergency department pressures.
Hospital overcrowding remains a pressing concern, with patient waiting times remaining alarmingly long. In the first six months of 2026, patients aged 75 and over accounted for 34% of emergency department stays, despite comprising only 7% of the population. Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients Association emphasizes that hospital overcrowding has not improved, citing a 12.6% increase in patients waiting for admission from January to August 2023 compared to the same period in 2022.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
