Almost 2,000 patients left on trolleys at UHL during April

Almost 2,000 people were admitted to University Hospital Limerick without a bed during April 2024.

That's according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which show 11,070 patients spent time on trolleys across the country in April.

This is the highest number recorded for the month of April since the INMO first began recording overcrowding numbers in 2006.

UHL once again had the highest levels of overcrowding out of any Irish hospital, with 1,971 patients on trolleys.

Galway University Hospital and Cork University Hospital were next on the list with 1,208 patients and 1,096 patients on trolleys respectively.

"The fact that we are seeing this level of overcrowding in April is clear that the HSE have not learned any lessons when it comes to reducing the number of patients on trolleys," INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said in a statement.

Figures released this Tuesday, April 30, also show that 123 patients are currently without beds at UHL, with 65 on trolleys in the Emergency Department and 58 on trolleys on wards around the hospital.

Read More: UHL emergency department 'failing both patients and staff for a long time'

INMO members have reported that "the challenges associated with overcrowding are being worsened by the HSE’s recruitment moratorium", making it impossible to staff any ward safely or to expand nursing services into the community to develop the much needed services as set out in Sláintecare, Ms Ní Sheaghdha stated.

“The number of patients admitted without a bed only went below 400 on any given day on one occasion, and over 600 patients were on trolleys on five occasions over the course of the month.

"By any standard this is unacceptable but to see this type of overcrowding during a month when it is traditionally quieter is a clear indicator that the HSE’s current plans are not working," Ms Ní Sheaghdha continued.

The figures come as communitties across Clare and the Mid-West are still processing the shocking conditions at UHL revealed at the inquest into Aoife Johnston's death last week.

A verdict of medical misadventure was returned in the death of the 16-year-old Shannon girl, which heard that UHL was a 'deathtrap' on the weekend of December 19, 2022.