50 patients on trolleys at St Luke's as overcrowding crisis enters fourth month

Another month, and there has been no let up to the overcrowding crisis at St Luke's General Hospital in Kilkenny.

Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) show 19 patients on trolleys in the Emergency Department and 31 on wards at the local hospital today. The trend of high figures has continued from January right through, with little let-up in between.

A statement from the Ireland East Hospital Group today said that 14 beds have been opened in the day ward, however, these will be moving to the new ward next week.

"St Luke's General Hospital Carlow/Kilkenny continues to experience a high number of patients attending ED with a variety of complex healthcare needs," said the statement.

"Everything possible is being done to reduce delays for patients waiting on bed spaces and ensuring that patients no longer requiring hospital care are discharged in a timely and appropriate manner."

Meanwhile, the INMO has analysed its Trolley/Ward watch figures for the month of March, which broke all records for that month. Nationally, 10,511 patients were waiting for an in-patient bed.

St Luke’s Hospital saw a jump in numbers from 364 in March last year to 603 for March this year. In 2016, the figure was 357, and in 2015 it was 284. In 2011, the first year for which records were available, it was 48.