People on hospital trolleys up 12% since 2025 - govt memo

People on hospital trolleys during mornings up 12% since 2025 - govt briefing

Updated / Tuesday, 3 Nov 2026 20:35

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The number of people on hospital trolleys during morning counts has increased by at least 12% since last year, Cabinet has been told.

The figure is included in an Urgent And Emergency Care update briefing provided to ministers by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and which has called on the HSE to outline an emergency unit winter plan for each health service region.

Between 1 January and 28 October, the number of people on hospital trolleys as of 8am every morning was 12% higher than the previous year - with targets failing to be met on 61% of days, according to the Cabinet briefing.

In addition, the number of people admitted to emergency departments was up 7% or 98,300 people, and up 9% or 17,700 people among those aged 75 or older.

The Cabinet file also said "delayed transfers of care" remain one of the most significant factors in hospital overcrowding, with 516 people seeing their departure from hospital delayed every day compared to a target of 300 - resulting in more than 150,000 lost bed days so far this year.

As part of attempts to address the situation, the Department of Health has asked the HSE to put in place "co-ordinated and focused" approaches to winter planning over the coming months in all health service regions.

The Cabinet file emerged on the same day as the Dáil debated a Sinn Féin private members motion on hospital overcrowding, safe staffing and health service winter preparedness.

Earlier, Social Democrats health spokesperson Pádraig Rice criticised Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister Carroll MacNeill for the situation at Cork University Hospital, claiming the hospital's chief executive has been put under pressure for raising legitimate staff level concerns - a claiming rejected by the Taoiseach.