34 patients waiting for a bed in Letterkenny University Hospital today

There are 34 patients waiting on a bed in Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) today, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

There are five patients waiting on beds in the Emergency Department today with 29 in wards elsewhere.

Letterkenny University Hospital is the seventh most overcrowded hospital in the country today. There are a total of 637 patients on trolleys in hospitals nationwide today.

In terms of overcrowding, University Hospital Limerick recorded the highest number of patients awaiting beds, with 107 in total. This was followed by University Hospital Galway with 69 patients, Sligo University Hospital with 51, Cork University Hospital with 49, St Vincent’s University Hospital with 39, University Hospital Kerry with 38, and Letterkenny University Hospital with 34.

LUH was in January the fifth-most overcrowded hospital in the country, behind University Hospital Limerick on 1,991; University Hospital Galway with 1,356; Cork University Hospital, with a total of 1,026 and the 995 at Sligo University Hospital.

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Emergency and inpatient areas are overcrowded, with many patients waiting for beds, having to sit on chairs in corridors for long periods. Routine procedures are delayed to manage demand. Ongoing staff shortages and limited bed capacity remain key issues, although wider system measures, including virtual care and new community facilities are being developed to help relieve pressure in the longer term.