CUH tops trolley list

CUH has seen some of the highest trolley numbers in the country over the past while.

This is largely due to University Limerick Hospital ceasing scheduled procedures until further notice. In recent years, University Limerick Hospital (UHL) has typically featured at the top of Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s (INMO) weekly count for patients waiting for hospital beds.

However CUH topped the list on Tuesday although UHL had one more patient on a trolley on both Monday and Wednesday.

In the INMO report from 13 August, UHL recorded 56 patients waiting on trolleys while CUH recorded 60. This represents a drastic change from the INMO trolley count published on 31 July which counted 40 patients on trolleys at CUH and 102 at UHL.

Last week the HSE published a statement saying that significant reductions in scheduled care would come into effect across UHL until further notice as the hospital manages high volumes of patients through its emergency department. Figures elsewhere in the country, including Cork, remain largely consistent with previous figures, the INMO confirmed.