More than 100 patients waiting for beds at University Hospital Limerick

Tomas Doherty

There were 468 patients waiting for beds across Irish hospitals on Friday morning, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, with more than 100 waiting in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) alone.

Figures from the nursing union's Trolley Watch campaign showed that 106 patients were admitted without a bed in UHL on Friday, followed by 45 patients in Cork University Hospital.

Overall there were 330 patients waiting in emergency departments across the State, while 138 were in wards elsewhere in hospitals.

The figures come as politicial parties enter discussions to form the next government with plans to tackle hospital overcrowding among the key talking points.

On the campaign trail last month, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin insisted emergency departments were safe after investment to tackle overcrowding.

His remarks came after the death of teenager Aoife Johnston at UHL in 2022 after waiting for 12 hours to be assessed for suspected sepsis.

Asked if her death was a “terrible indictment of Government”, Mr Martin – a former health minister – said: “It’s a terrible indictment of the hospital and what happened there, and the need for reform, and change in governance in the hospital.”

Also a former health minister, Fine Gael leader Simon Harris made a pledge in 2017 that waiting lists would be reduced for child scoliosis surgeries to four months – which has not come to pass.

He said Fine Gael made a “clear commitment” to fix waiting lists for child scoliosis “once and for all”.