700 Patients on Trolleys Nationwide as INMO Demands Urgent Action
700 patients on trolleys today including 79 in Cork hospitals as INMO calls for urgent action on overcrowding crisis.
A total of 700 patients are waiting on trolleys in hospitals across Ireland today, with 79 of those in Cork's two main hospitals, according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).
The Trolley Watch data for Thursday, 5 February 2026 shows 410 patients on trolleys in emergency departments and a further 290 in wards elsewhere. Since Tuesday morning, a staggering 2,108 patients have been placed on trolleys nationwide.
University Hospital Limerick recorded the highest figures in the country, with 115 patients on trolleys, comprising 45 in the emergency department and 70 in wards. University Hospital Galway followed with 75, while Letterkenny University Hospital reported 57.
Closer to home, Cork University Hospital had 52 patients on trolleys today, with 31 in the emergency department and 21 in wards elsewhere. Mercy University Hospital, Cork recorded 27, with 22 in the emergency department and five in wards. One child under the age of 16 was among those waiting on a trolley nationally.
Phil Ní Sheaghdha, INMO General Secretary:
"It is very concerning that we are heading into the latter half of the week with 700 patients on trolleys.
Overcrowding is not just restricted to a handful of large hospitals, we are seeing patients on trolleys and an over reliance on surge capacity in nearly each acute hospital. Each hospital is now over 100% capacity, well over the recommended 85% occupancy rate.
Statutory bodies such as HIQA and the Health and Safety Authority need to urgently get on the pitch. Patient and staff safety is at serious risk in conditions like this."
The figures highlight a system under severe strain, with country hospitals accounting for 563 of the 700 total and eastern hospitals, including children's facilities, making up the remaining 137.
Bantry General Hospital in West Cork reported 15 patients on trolleys, all in wards rather than the emergency department, while University Hospital Kerry had 31.
The INMO's Trolley Watch is published daily and tracks overcrowding across all acute hospitals in Ireland. The organisation has repeatedly called for systemic reform to address chronic capacity issues in the health service.
