St Luke’s General Hospital has topped the country’s list for exceeding bed capacity in the first half of this year.
The Irish Times reporting on HSE data says two-thirds of public hospitals are operating at unsafe bed occupancy levels with the national level for the first half of the year at 95.9%, up from 2024’s 94.2%.
Nine exceeded bed capacity – the local facility’s the highest at 116.4%.
31 hospitals had rates higher than the recommended 85%, however the figures don’t include Galway University Hospitals.
HSE Dublin and South East issued a statement to KCLR News: Demand for hospital services at St Luke’s General Hospital, Carlow Kilkenny is increasing and the volume of attendances at our emergency department (ED) has risen.
When in hospital, our hospital and community teams work closely on patient flow, helping patients move as quickly as possible through the hospital system. This includes supporting patients in avoiding ED attendance, improving the experience of patients while in ED, ensuring efficiency of movement within hospitals, and safe and timely discharge.
St Luke’s Hospital urges all patients to consider all care options available including other healthcare professionals such as GPs, Care Doc or their local pharmacy, which may be more helpful to consider, instead of presenting at the emergency department.
The emergency department will continue to deal with all medical emergencies. All patients who present at the ED will be seen and treated, with the sickest and the most urgent patients being prioritised.
