CUH only behind Limerick in number of patients on trolleys in May

CORK University Hospital (CUH) recorded the second-highest number of people on trolleys across the country during the month of May, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

There were a total of 1,310 patients recorded on trolleys at the hospital in May.

The Mercy University Hospital (MUH) recorded 381 patients on trolleys in May and Bantry General Hospital (BGH) recorded 75 patients on trolleys in May.

The hospital with the highest number of patients on trolleys last month was University Hospital Limerick which recorded 1,857 patients on trolleys.

Nationally, there were 11,856 people, including 300 children on trolleys across the month of May.

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said: “The number of patients we have seen on trolleys in the month of May are higher than January 2023, when we saw the worst levels of daily hospital overcrowding since the INMO began counting trolleys.

“This type of overcrowding at the beginning of summer must be immediately addressed to prevent an even more chaotic winter.

“Nurses are working in a system that has normalised over 500 people a day on trolleys. They have had little to no reprieve from overcrowding. Our are reporting high levels of burnout and their intention to leave their current work area is higher than it has ever been.”

She said that at a recent meeting of the Emergency Department Taskforce, which the INMO co-chairs with the HSE, the INMO was provided with “stark warnings from public health experts that we are facing into another difficult winter when it comes to RSV and influenza”.

“Corrective action must be taken now to ease the pressure in our hospitals,” she said.

On June 1, there were 15 patients on trolleys at CUH, and 8 at the Mercy, with none at BGH.

“We need to see a laser-like focus from Government and the HSE to tackling the overcrowding crisis in our hospitals once and for all.

“The corrective measures we seek are proper planning of the cancellation of non-urgent elective surgery in line with public health projections; pre-arranged agreements with private acute hospitals to provide non-urgent elective surgery; and bespoke retention and recruitment initiatives to be implemented now to ensure staffing for additional capacity that is definitely going to be needed,” Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.