This month second-worst January on record for hospital overcrowding – INMO

James Cox

Approximately 12,132 patients, including 278 children, went without a hospital bed this January, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

This month was the second-worst January for hospital overcrowding since the group began counting trolleys in 2006.

The top five most overcrowded hospitals in the country this January were: University Hospital Limerick (2,073), Cork University Hospital (1,632), University Hospital Galway (1,041), Letterkenny University Hospital (709) and Sligo University Hospital (701).

Commenting on the figures, INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “Another January has passed with hospital overcrowding remaining a serious problem in Irish hospitals.

“There were only three instances this month where less than 500 people were waiting on trolleys, chairs or other inappropriate bed spaces.”

The INMO said some of the hospital care environments are “totally inappropriate, in some instances the care is provided on chairs”.

“Hundreds of people are sick enough to be admitted to hospital each day, but there is no bed for them. It is clear that capacity in the health system isn’t sufficient. We have not seen a significant drop in the number of patients on trolleys. We need more beds and we need more patient-facing staff."

The INMO called on the HSE to agree a “realistic workforce plan which provides for sufficient nurses and midwives to be employed to provide safe care and plan for more beds to open”.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha added: “Patient safety is of the utmost importance to our members, they want to be in a position to provide safe and timely care. It is the view of INMO members that hospital overcrowding has not improved.

“On each hospital site the occupancy rate is above 83 per cent, which means that the provision of safe care is compromised.”