600 Patients Are Left With No Hospital Bed

Hospital overcrowding remains a major issue, with patients left waiting in emergency departments and hospital wards due to a lack of available beds. University Hospital Limerick is facing the worst of the crisis, leading the country in the number of patients on trolleys.

This is what we know so far.

Hospital Bed Shortage: 600 Patients Are Struggling

Despite flu and winter pressures easing, hospital bed shortages persist, with nearly 600 patients unable to secure a bed on Monday morning.

Flu cases have significantly dropped, with only 193 hospitalizations by the end of February, down from a peak of 869 in late December. However, patient delays continue, highlighting ongoing strain on the healthcare system.

Flu cases may be dwindling, but hospital pressures remain high. Only one ICU patient was there due to flu, and there were no reported flu-related deaths that week. This was a clear sign that the worst of the outbreak had passed.

However, this hasn’t translated into relief for hospitals. Many are still struggling to keep up with demand, facing ongoing capacity issues despite the decline in flu cases.

Who Else Is Facing This Issue?

University Hospital Limerick is feeling the strain, with 101 patients left waiting on trolleys, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s latest count.

The overcrowding isn’t limited to Limerick either. In the same region, eight patients were on trolleys at Ennis Hospital and one at Nenagh Hospital. This is a worrying sign, especially since neither facility even has an emergency department.

Meanwhile, delays were also piling up at Kerry University Hospital, where 18 patients were stuck on trolleys at the time of the count, highlighting the ongoing strain on the healthcare system.

Do Any Hospitals Have Enough Beds?

Out of 32 hospitals analyzed by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, only four, including University Hospital Waterford, had enough beds for all their patients, underscoring the severity of the crisis.

According to separate HSE data, 92 patients had been waiting over 24 hours by Monday morning, including three elderly patients over 75. Nationally, the HSE recorded 427 patients on trolleys and 561 on temporary surge beds, which are typically used for other services, meaning those services were put on hold.

On top of that, 432 patients who had completed treatment remained stuck in hospitals, waiting for support services before discharge. Addressing these ongoing delays, HSE chief Bernard Gloster spoke last week about the need for greater efficiency. This was ironically, on a day when discharge delays looked just as bad as Monday’s numbers.

Other Notable Information

HSE chief Bernard Gloster highlighted that 400 hospital patients no longer need care. However, they remain stuck due to discharge delays, directly impacting trolley numbers.

He also noted that only 11% of discharges happen on weekends and wants to raise that to 15-20% to prevent Monday and Tuesday overcrowding. This is especially true after bank holidays.

You might also want to read: COVID-19 on Rise: Are We Too Late For a New Vaccine?