Number of patients on trolleys at West Cork hospital exceeds whole of last month 

The numbers of people on trolleys in Bantry General Hospital in the first half of this month has already exceeded the numbers treated on trolleys in the hospital in the whole of December.

Hospitals in Cork and across Ireland have seen high levels of overcrowding in the first two weeks of 2025, made worse by icy weather conditions and high levels of influenza, with regional hospitals seeing higher than average levels of people being treated on trolleys.

Eighty-five people have been treated on trolleys in the West Cork hospital so far this month, compared to 75 for the whole of December.

Nine people were being treated in the hospital on trolleys on Wednesday according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s daily figures. Yesterday’s figure was one. Bantry Hospital generally has low levels of patients on trolleys, often zero, but this month there has been as many as 15 patients on trolleys a day.

Delayed transfers

According to the HSE, there were seven delayed transfers of care on Wednesday. 

This term means a patient ready for discharge or transfer who has completed their acute inpatient hospital care but is still occupying a bed designated for such care, usually due to a delay in getting a nursing home bed.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork South West Christopher O’Sullivan told The Echo that the high figures were “concerning”, saying: “I have no doubt that the staff and management of Bantry Hospital will be doing everything possible to ensure people are seen as soon as possible.

“As well as that, I also have no doubt that the people presenting with flu and other respiratory conditions were at an absolute peak since covid levels, so that has added to the pressure.”

Mr O’Sullivan continued: “This also underlines the absolute importance of Bantry Hospital in West Cork, when you see the amount of people presenting there.

“Clearly, when the new government is formed, I think one of the priorities has to be sorting out recruitment right across the HSE including additional nursing staff and other medical professionals, that’s absolutely vital.”