Ireland’s hospital system is facing a severe capacity crisis with 761 patients waiting for beds today, prompting the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) to demand an emergency national response plan.
The crisis is particularly acute at University Hospital Limerick, where 122 patients are awaiting beds, while Sligo and Cork University Hospitals are also severely affected with 55 and 53 patients on trolleys respectively. Of the total patients waiting, 528 are in emergency departments, with the remaining 233 scattered throughout other hospital areas.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha criticized the lack of preparation, calling the situation “entirely predictable.” The crisis coincides with a major flu outbreak, with the HSE reporting 1,017 hospitalized flu patients as of December 31st, a number they say is “increasing rapidly.”
“It is inconceivable that we are once again talking about how high trolley figures are on the first Monday in January,” Ní Sheaghdha said, highlighting that current trolley numbers exceed the total inpatient capacity of major hospitals like University Hospital Waterford and Letterkenny University Hospital combined.
According to The Journal, the situation is further complicated by widespread respiratory illnesses affecting all healthcare services, from GP surgeries to ambulance services, while healthcare workers struggle in what the INMO describes as “unenviable circumstances.” The organization also pointed to delayed development of three planned elective-only hospitals as contributing to the ongoing crisis.
The INMO is calling for “extraordinary measures” to ensure safe care delivery during this critical period, as healthcare staff continue to manage overcrowding amid a respiratory illness outbreak and national weather warnings.