Where is Government response to record April trolley numbers?

• INMO records a 29% annual increase in patients on trolleys from April 2025 to April 2026, with the highest April figure on record
• 18 days in April saw delayed transfers of care exceed 500 patients, severely impacting hospital admissions
• Government failure to expand public step-down beds, with the closure of four private nursing homes in Galway exposing fragile supply

Labour Health Spokesperson Marie Sherlock TD has called for an urgent Government response to tackle hospital overcrowding, including a clear plan to expand step-down care capacity nationwide.

Deputy Sherlock said:

“Today’s figures from the INMO, showing that 11,175 people were on trolleys in April, are yet another wake-up call for a Government that continues to ignore the reality of hospital overcrowding and delayed discharges. There were 2,500 more people on trolleys this April compared to the same month last year.

“It is clear that delayed transfers of care are having a direct knock-on effect on admissions. It is unacceptable that patients are being treated on corridors while staff struggle to provide safe care, and others cannot be discharged because there is nowhere appropriate for them to go.

“The Government must now set out an urgent, comprehensive plan to increase step-down bed capacity across the country. Crucially, the majority of these beds must be publicly owned. The closure of four nursing homes in quick succession in Galway highlights the State’s over-reliance on the private sector and the fragility of current provision.

“Two wards in Cherry Orchard Hospital have been closed since 2024 due to fire remediation works. Killarney Community Nursing Unit has been ready for over a year and a half but remains unopened. In the South Infirmary, beds that should be in use remain closed.

“Our step-down system is clearly under severe strain. There is an urgent need for additional HSE-led community bed capacity. Most of the beds outlined in the National Service Plan are replacement beds, not new capacity.

“The Government must act now. It is a disgrace that patients are left languishing on corridors because others cannot be discharged into appropriate care. We are not in the depths of winter, we are at the end of spring. This should not be happening.”