
Overcrowding Crisis at Lourdes Hospital ‘Ireland Really is No Country for the Sick’
Ardee News and Sport – Overcrowding Crisis at Lourdes Hospital ‘Ireland Really is No Country for the Sick’
Dramatic Rise in Patients Left on Trolleys at Lourdes Hospital Drogheda
The severe overcrowding crisis at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, has worsened significantly, with a staggering 65% increase in the number of patients treated on trolleys in January 2025 compared to the same period last year. According to the latest Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) Trolley Watch figures, 468 patients were treated without a proper bed last month—up from 284 in January 2024.
This marks the highest number of patients left on trolleys at the hospital since 2018, when the figure reached 491. On Tuesday alone, 43 patients were waiting on trolleys in the hospital’s Emergency Department, highlighting the deepening healthcare crisis in the North East.
The latest statistics add to an alarming trend, with 3,860 patients left on trolleys at Lourdes Hospital throughout 2024, compared to 2,078 in 2023.
‘A Travesty’: Louth Councillor Condemns the Crisis
Local representatives have expressed outrage over the worsening situation. Labour Councillor Michelle Hall, vice-chairperson of the North East Health Forum, has described the crisis as “a travesty”, warning that the public must never accept this as the norm.
“Last month recorded the worst ever Trolley Watch figures in Ireland—almost 14,000 patients left waiting on trolleys nationwide, compared to just over 7,000 in January 2006. This is a complete failure of healthcare management,” she said.
Councillor Hall also criticised the government, stating that the crisis in hospitals is being exacerbated by a shortage of GPs, recruitment challenges, and long waiting lists for outpatient services.
“This government excels at making people’s lives more difficult. If it’s not homelessness or the rising cost of living, it’s a lack of access to timely healthcare,” she added.
She also shared a personal experience of the crisis, revealing that she had recently left the hospital’s A&E department due to a lack of doctors on call.
“I wasn’t too ill, so I left. But when I tried to get an outpatient appointment, I was told it would take months and that I should go to A&E if my symptoms worsened. This is a ridiculous waste of resources,” she said.
No End in Sight for Patients in the North East
The crisis at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital reflects a broader national emergency, with chronic underfunding, staff shortages, and inadequate infrastructure continuing to push Irish hospitals to breaking point.
Patients and healthcare workers alike are frustrated and exhausted, as overcrowding shows no sign of improving. Without urgent intervention, 2025 could be one of the worst years on record for Ireland’s struggling healthcare system.
“Ireland really is no country for the sick,” Councillor Hall concluded.