Success rates in reducing congestion in hospitals since the start of November are a “concern”, the Minister for Health has said, with emergency departments under pressure as flu cases begin to rise.
The Minister, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, said figures until the end of October for the number of patients on trolleys show “incremental improvements nationally”.
There were 8 per cent fewer patients waiting on a trolley at 8am over the first 10 months of the year when compared to the same period in 2024, equal to 7,800 fewer patients.
This reduction has occurred in the context of a 4 per cent increase in presentations to emergency departments.
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However, Ms Carroll MacNeill said that, notwithstanding the figures, “performance since the start of November is of concern, with emergency departments experiencing significant pressure”.
“These pressures will intensify further as hospital presentations increase over the coming weeks due to the expected spread of influenza-like illnesses,” she said.
“With the rising incidents of influenza, the public, and healthcare workers in particular, are encouraged to avail of vaccinations. It is essential that focused and sustained actions are taken immediately to stabilise services and to provide assurance that risks to patients are being actively mitigated.”
According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), flu activity is continuing to increase, but from a low level.
The number of cases increased by 132 per cent last week, from 197 cases to 457 in the week ending November 8th. Prevalence of cases is highest among people in their 80s and older.
Hospitalisations increased 91 per cent, from 52 to 103 patients, but there were no admissions to intensive care or flu-related deaths.
“Influenza hospital bed occupancy has been increasing in recent weeks. Influenza A(H3) accounted for the majority of subtyped influenza A viruses during the season to date,” the HPSC said.
Ms Carroll MacNeill also acknowledged an increase in bank holiday hospital discharges; bank holidays are traditionally a pressure point in the health system, with significant congestion experienced on the Tuesday immediately afterwards.
There were 14 per cent fewer patients waiting on trolleys at 8am over the four days of the October bank holiday weekend when compared with the same weekend in 2023, she said.
