There has been an over 116% jump in the number of patients waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Kerry in a year.
That’s according to figures from the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation for March.
The figures show more than 440 people were waiting on trolleys in UHK during the third month of 2026.
Nationally, 11,130 patients were admitted to hospital without a bed during March, an increase of 22% compared to same month last year.
Of these, 443 were waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Kerry throughout March.
That’s an increase of over 116% when compared to the same month last year, when 205 people were waiting for a bed at UHK.
The figure stood at 202 in 2024, there were 401 patients without a bed in 2023, and a further 338 people waited on trolleys in UHK during March of 2022.
Back in 2006, 89 patients waited for a bed in University Hospital Kerry during the third month of the year, when compared with this year, it represents a jump of almost 400%.
Reacting to the figures, INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdh, who’s from Ventry, said members are concerned the rising trend will become the new norm, and it’s vital staffing and resources are addressed.
