Cork hospital second most overcrowded nationwide during month of October

CORK University Hospital (CUH) was the second most overcrowded hospital in the country during October.

The most recent Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) monthly TrolleyWatch analysis showed that 1,034 patients at the hospital were without a bed in October.

A total of 299 patients waited on trolleys at Mercy University Hospital (MUH) and 134 waited on trolleys at Bantry General Hospital (BGH) in October.

Nationally, more than 10,538 patients, including 273 children, went without a bed throughout last month.

The most overcrowded hospital in the country was University Hospital Limerick, with 2,043 patients waiting on trolleys in total.

Yesterday, CUH recorded 62 patients on trolleys, 52 of whom were on trolleys at the hospital’s emergency department (ED) and 10 on wards elsewhere in the hospital.

There were 18 people on trolleys in the ED at MUH, and one patient on a trolley at BGH.

Speaking about the latest figures, INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “We are once again seeing an unacceptable amount of patients on trolleys the day after a bank holiday.”

She also raised concerns about staffing, saying there are not enough staff members to deal with the growing demand in the health system and that this has a knock-on impact on both patient and staff safety.

“Unsafe staffing levels are going to be a feature of this winter unless we see targeted recruitment and retention plans in each hospital and community care area to allow for more nurses and midwives to be recruited at the pace in which we need them,” she said.

“Again this winter, our members are not assured that their safety and that of their patients is a priority,” she added.

“The HSE and Government must outline what steps are being taken both at national and local level to dramatically reduce the number of patients on trolleys.”