More than 500 patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals with UHL worst hit
UHL was the most overcrowded hospital in October. File picture: Brendan Gleeson
University Hospital Limerick (UHL) accounts for 108 of the 549 patients waiting on trolleys across Ireland as overcrowding continues to hit the country's hospitals.
UHL is once again the worst affected hospital, with 55 patients waiting in the emergency department, while 53 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital. This comes after the Limerick hospital was the most overcrowded in Ireland in October, as 1,876 patients were waiting on trolleys.
According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's (INMO) trolley watch figures, Cork University Hospital was the second worst affected hospital on Wednesday with 67 people on trolleys, followed by Sligo University Hospital (47) and University Hospital Galway (43).
The INMO revealed that last month 10,515 patients were treated on trolleys or chairs in October.
In a statement released by the INMO, general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “The fact that over 10,000 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.
“Staffing is an issue across all hospitals. Not having a safe number of nursing staff in our emergency departments, inpatient wards, long-term care and community services continues to exacerbate the persistent problem of overcrowding in our hospitals.”
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said their members were not assured that their safety and the safety of their patients is a priority this winter.
“The HSE and Government must protect frontline services by lifting the recruitment embargo immediately and accelerating the hiring process, which has been hindered by the current pay and numbers strategy.
"These delays now result in nearly 12 months to approve replacements for essential nursing and midwifery posts. Without the safe level of staffing patients cannot be assured of a safe service, this is avoidable and must be corrected immediately,” she added.
Limerick Sinn Féin TD, Maurice Quinlivan, has said the overcrowding issues are unfair on health workers and patients.
“University Hospital Limerick has the highest number of people being treated in corridors and on hospital trolleys, it is treatment without privacy. It is not fair on the health workers, and it is not fair on the patients and their families.
"The recent reports into the tragic and avoidable death of young Aoife Johnston demonstrated how detrimental overcrowding is to patient health,” Mr Quinlivan said.
Elsewhere, St John’s Hospital Injury Unit in Limerick will see more patients treated in the evening from this week, after its opening hours were extended.
The injury unit, which is the busiest of three injury units part of HSE Mid West, will now be open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week.
This follows the recommendations of a national review on injury units, which was completed by the HSE in 2023.
