Labour calls for urgent action on hospital trolley crisis
- Over 770 patients on trolleys nationwide, 110 in UHL
Labour’s Conor Sheehan TD for Limerick City has slammed Government’s handling of the ongoing trolley crisis, with the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s (INMO) trolley watch revealing a shocking 770 people waiting for beds in hospitals nationwide. This includes 110 people on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and 100 at Galway University Hospital.
Deputy Sheehan said:
“Every person in Ireland deserves access to safe and timely healthcare, but the reality is far from that. The chronic overcrowding in UHL emergency departments shows no sign of easing. The strain this places on staff, patients, and families is intolerable, and they are crying out for solutions.
“The Labour Party has repeatedly advocated for a bespoke plan to address the crisis in UHL, yet the situation continues to deteriorate. The mismanagement of this crisis has reached a breaking point, and it is the patients and healthcare workers who are paying the price.
“Last October, Labour used its Dáil time to call for the lifting of the HSE’s de-facto recruitment embargo. This policy is not only undermining patient safety but also making it harder to retain staff. Thousands of essential positions across the country are deliberately being left vacant because local clinical managers lack the autonomy to fill them. Whether it’s maternity leave, retirement, or job changes, vacancies are going unfilled, and the consequences for patient care are devastating.
“Ireland’s health infrastructure is simply unable to meet the demands placed on it. We see this every day in our overcrowded emergency departments, understaffed wards, and lengthy waiting lists. For patients in the Midwest, there is no release valve—University Hospital Limerick is overwhelmed, and the government’s failure to provide targeted solutions is unacceptable.
“The annual trolley crisis is entirely predictable. We need more bed capacity and more frontline staff to deal with this crisis. The usual excuses for inaction won’t wash with the public or with hospital staff, who are stretched to breaking point. The government must take responsibility and act decisively to alleviate this pressure.”
Concluding, Deputy Sheehan issued a call to action to the new Minister for Health:
“This crisis demands urgent political leadership. The safety and health of patients must be prioritised, and immediate steps must be taken to alleviate overcrowding and ensure adequate staffing levels. The people of Limerick and the wider Midwest cannot wait any longer. This situation cannot continue. Change is needed, and it is needed now.”