Hospital overcrowding hits record levels

Photo © Pat Flynn

University Hospital Limerick has equaled it’s highest ever figure for the number of patients on trolleys at the facility.

There are 114 people on trolleys in hospitals serving Tipperary this afternoon. – 80 of which are at UHL.

Nationally, overcrowding has hit a new record of 714 patients needing a bed.

 

It’s a hugely busy day for hospitals serving Tipperary this afternoon – the 114 patients waiting for a bed across UHL and South Tipp General in Clonmel equals more than 15% of patients waiting for beds across the country.

University Hospital Limerick, which serves North Tipp, has 80 people without a bed this afternoon – that equals the highest ever number recorded at the facility.

55 of those are in the Emergency Department, while the remaining 25 are in overflow areas of already full wards.

University Hospital Galway is the second busiest in the country – with 45 patients on trolleys.

Meanwhile, at South Tipp General Hospital, there are 34 patients waiting for a bed this afternoon.

Nationally, there are 714 people on trolleys across the country this afternoon – it’s the first time ever the number is over 700.

It comes as over 600 people were waiting for beds every day last week.