130 without beds in Cork as CUH reports highest level of patients on trolleys in country

More than 130 people are without a bed across Leeside hospitals today, as Cork University Hospital (CUH) reports the highest number of patients on trolleys in Ireland.

This is according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which show 90 patients being treated on trolleys in CUH, coming in ahead of University Hospital Limerick, typically the most overcrowded hospital in the country, where there are 89 people on trolleys.

The CUH figures include 65 people without a bed in the Emergency Department and 25 without a bed elsewhere in the hospital.

These figures are in addition to the 36 people being treated without a bed at Mercy University Hospital, and eight at Bantry General Hospital, bringing the total number of people in Cork being treated on trolleys today to 134.

Speaking to The Echo, INMO’s assistant director of industrial relations, Liam Conway said attendance across all acute hospitals in Cork has been “very high” this week.

“Unfortunately, adequate resources have not been put in place to deal with this entirely predictable surge, and the result is intolerable pressure on our members and health and safety risks to their patients,” said Mr Conway.

“Attendance is very high across all acute hospitals this week, [and] the INMO has written to [management at CUH] in relation to our members’ concerns surrounding patient safety and their own safety.

“Placing additional trolleys across the hospital and opening day wards for admitted patients without appropriate staffing are simply unsafe practices.

“Patients are being cared for in overcrowded environments, inappropriate spaces and non-serviced beds."

“The focus over the coming months must be on plans to increase staffing and ensure we are in a position to reverse this trend of dangerous overcrowding in hospitals, rather than see it worsen every year.” 

So far this month, 924 people have been treated without a bed across Cork hospitals, including 646 at CUH, 198 at the Mercy and 80 at Bantry General Hospital.