Hospital overcrowding: Nearly 120 people waiting for beds in UHL521 people are waiting for beds in hospitals across the country on Thursday, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO). The hospital with the highest number of patients without a bed is University Hospital Limerick, with 119 people on trolleys. At University Hospital Galway, 67 people are waiting for a bed, with 44 people in the emergency department. St Vincent's University Hospital has 43 patients on trolleys, with 35 in the emergency department. Cork University Hospital has 40 people waiting for a bed, with 31 patients in the emergency department.

Source: Irish Independent February 19, 2026 15:45 UTC