Updated / Tuesday, 27 Oct 2026 13:11
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There are 777 admitted patients without a bed in hospitals around the country, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
It said that there are more than 199 patients being treated on trolleys in hospitals across Galway, Letterkenny, Sligo and Mayo.
University Hospital Limerick has 108 patients waiting for a bed, with 62 waiting at Letterkenny University Hospital.
According to the figures, nationally, there are 499 patients waiting in emergency departments, while 278 were waiting in wards.
Today's figure marks the second highest number of patients waiting for a hospital bed on a given day this year.
A total of 803 admitted patients were recorded waiting for beds in hospitals on 13 January, according to the INMO.
On the day after the bank holiday Monday last year, the INMO recorded 417 patients waiting for a hospital bed. At the time, it said there were 296 patients waiting in EDs, with 121 in wards.
'Dangerous'
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha described the overcrowding as "dangerous" and shows a "total failure in planning".
"It is hard to see how the employer can stand over conditions in any hospital in the country," she said.
"It is not acceptable that something as ordinary as a bank holiday weekend can result in this level of risk for patients and staff.
"It demonstrates a total failure in planning and a total disregard for safety."
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said that staff members are already stretched to the limit and a surge in numbers was not something that could be dealt with safely.
"It is up to management to ensure staff and patients are not exposed to this total lack of safety," she said.
The HSE TrolleyGar figures put the number of admitted patients waiting for a bed in hospitals around the country at 544, with surge capacity at 693.
It said that there are 387 patients wating in emergency departments, while 157 are waiting in wards.
Surge capacity is defined as the number of additional inpatient beds in operation temporarily to meet demand, such as those on day wards and assessment units.
Source: RTÉ News
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