Over 200 people had no bed in Naas Hospital in July

Some 204 people had no bed on admission to Naas Hospital through the accident and emergency department in July.

This was an increase compared with the figure of 182 in 2023 - but lower than the 2022 figure of 257.

The numbers are compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation who monitor hospital overcrowding figures in public hospitals across the country on a daily basis.

The highest ever overcrowding figure for the month of July at Naas Hospital was in 2009 when 424 people had no bed on admission.

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At Portlaoise Hospital the figure was 113 and there was no overcrowding at all at Tullamore Hospital last month.

Nationwide over 9,755 people, including 73 children, “were treated on a trolley, chair or other inappropriate bed space in Irish hospitals in July” , said the INMO.

The top five most facilities were University Hospital Limerick (2255 patients);  Galway University Hospital (1025); Cork University Hospital (999); Sligo University Hospital (851) and St Vincent’s University Hospital (537). 

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the level overcrowding is worrying and indicates what can be expected for the rest of the year - “unless meaningful action is taken by the HSE and individual hospital groups.”

Mis Ní Sheaghdha again called for winter planning to commence immediately “the level of demand will only continue to increase over the coming months.” 

She said more than 20,200 patients have been treated on a trolley outside of the emergency department so far this year. 

“This is a worrying trend that should not be accepted. The medical implications of long-term stays on trolleys are well flagged and allowing patients to be treated on wards that are already short-staffed puts patient safety at further risk.”

She added: “The HSE must now set out what their plan is for the remainder of the year and into the beginning of 2025 to ensure all medical and surgical wards have the correct level of nurse staffing. Putting sick patients on trolleys in already busy wards in addition to overcrowded emergency departments is an ad-hoc approach that can only be resolved by additional bed capacity and appropriate nurse staffing levels.”