Four in five patients on trolleys are waiting in emergency departments, new data shows

"The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has shown that 181 admitted patients were waiting for beds as of yesterday morning. Out of this, 143 patients (79pc) were waiting in the emergency departments, while 38 were in wards elsewhere in the hospitals, with no patients under 16 years old. It comes as a peak in flu cases was expected over the festive period. The current number of patients waiting for beds marks a slight drop in comparison to previous figures."

"In mid-December, it was feared that up to 1,500 people would be in hospital with flu around Christmas week amid the surge in flu cases putting pressure on hospitals. The current number of patients on trolleys is also lower than this time last year, as on December 30 in 2024, 606 patients were waiting for hospital beds, according to the INMO data. Yesterday, the largest number of patients waiting for beds were at the Sligo University Hospital, with 26 patients, including 22 in the emergency department and four in other wards."

181 admitted patients were waiting for hospital beds as of yesterday morning, with 143 (79%) in emergency departments and 38 in other wards; no patients under 16 were waiting. The figure is a slight drop from last week's 285 patients on trolleys, which included 185 in emergency departments and 100 in other wards. The current total is also lower than 606 patients waiting on December 30, 2024. Mid-December projections feared up to 1,500 flu hospitalisations around Christmas amid a surge in flu cases. Sligo University Hospital reported the highest count with 26 patients; several other hospitals reported double-digit trolley waits.

Read at Irish Independent