Cork trolley figures increase by 53% over the past year

More than 900 patients were treated on trolleys, chairs, or in other inappropriate bed spaces in Cork hospitals in June, an increase of 53% in 12 months.

The data was compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which tracks daily overcrowding across Irish hospitals.

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is regularly one of the most overcrowded hospitals in the country. 

In June, it was placed third — behind University Hospital Limerick and Sligo University Hospital.

Over the course of the month in CUH, the number of people treated on trolleys was 708. This is an increase of more than 300 year-on-year from 405 in June 2025.

Across Cork, the trolley figures rose 53% from 592 to 907 in 12 months, considerably above the national average increase of 20%.

There was also a sharp increase in the figures for Bantry General Hospital, with 22 people treated on trolleys last month compared to just four people the previous June, while Mercy University Hospital saw a slight decrease from 183 in June 2025, to 177 this June.

The figures represent a slight decrease from the 1,085 patients treated on trolleys in the three Cork hospitals in May, which was an increase of 28% from the previous May.

Additional pressures

INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said: “There was a time when we could expect a significant reduction in trolley numbers during the milder summer months, but this has not been the case in recent years.”

She added that over the last month, nurses and midwives had to deal with the additional pressures associated with caring for patients in high temperature weather conditions.

“These circumstances not only increase stress and exhaustion in nurses and midwives working in buildings not equipped to cope with higher temperatures, but can also greatly impact patient safety. 

"Given the current trajectory with temperature increases, summer may become a period requiring significant planning to ensure the safety of everyone who attends and works within our healthcare system,” she added.

Some 7,994 patients have now been recorded on trolleys in the first half of 2026 in Cork, an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year, which the union says could indicate a record-breaking year for trolley admissions unless urgent measures are taken.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha concluded: “Nurses and midwives will not continue to work in these environments.

“If the HSE is serious about retention, predictable surges of healthcare needs must have a planned approach to deal with them so our members know they can care for patients in a safe environment.”