Hospital overcrowding: 599 patients on trolleys as nurses warn about patient safety

More than 100 people had been waiting more than 24 hours for a bed in an Irish hospital on Wednesday, with nurses warning about patient safety risks as trolley numbers soar.

According to official HSE data, there were 599 patients on trolleys in hospitals on Wednesday.

There was an additional 615 people in surge capacity, which is the number of beds taken from elsewhere in a hospital to meet emergency department demand.

Of those waiting for a bed, 102 were waiting more than 24 hours. Five patients waiting more than this time were aged 75 or older.

Cork University Hospital has the highest number of people waiting for a bed, at 73, the HSE said. The hospital has received significant political attention in recent months after its chief executive, Jennifer Kearney, wrote to the HSE outlining patient-safety concerns due to staff shortages.

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The HSE also highlighted that 552 patients who were medically fit to be discharged from hospital remained in its care for a variety of reasons.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which also counts patients placed on wards, corridors, chairs or elsewhere in hospitals while waiting for admission to a bed, put Wednesday’s figure at 824 patients. The union said this was the highest number since January 2023.

Pressure on hospitals as winter approaches typically begins to increase due to higher rates of respiratory viruses such as influenza. The highest number of patients on trolleys is normally seen in late December and January.

The INMO said the current situation required an immediate and decisive response from the HSE. It called for the cessation of all elective activity in acute hospitals, with the purchase of private hospital capacity to accommodate this work.

The union added that the current situation was resulting in patients being exposed to “unacceptable risks”.

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Phil Ní Sheaghdha, INMO general secretary, said the HSE needed to have a plan to ease pressure, and the “current situation is dangerous and requires immediate action”.

“The HSE and Department of Health must be honest with the public about the dire situation facing the majority of our emergency departments,” she added. “Patient safety must come first, and that means taking decisive action now to address overcrowding.

“This situation is being compounded by recruitment restrictions, with at least four HSE regions now unable to recruit without sign-off from the Department of Health. This is an extremely delayed process that creates significant risks for frontline patient care and staff safety.”

The INMO has written to the HSE seeking “immediate engagement” on safe staffing levels.

“The HSE cannot restrict recruitment while simultaneously expecting existing services and capacity to continue regardless of the staffing available. Hospital activity must be aligned with the workforce available to deliver safe patient care.”