Number of people waiting on trolleys in emergency department down by 10% – HSE

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

There was a 10 per cent reduction in the number of people waiting on trolleys in emergency departments last year, according to the latest HSE annual report.

Over 108,000 people were recorded on trolleys in emergency departments last year, according to HSE figures, which represents a reduction.

The fall was recorded amid an 8 per cent increase in people attending and a rise of 7 per cent in admissions to emergency departments.

HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster said one of the most “challenging” aspects for the HSE was wait times for healthcare, and said tackling “unacceptably long” waits in emergency departments was an area of focus.

The HSE annual report for 2024 analyses the health service’s performance and health trends among Irish people.

 

It outlined a 4.6 per cent improvement in the number of outpatients seen within 10 weeks and a 5.5 per cent increase in the number of inpatients and day case patients seen within 12 weeks.

“Addressing waiting lists for scheduled care and unacceptably long waits in emergency departments (EDs) remains a priority focus area, especially for older people and those with complex needs,” Mr Gloster said in the foreword.

“My plan for 2025 is to continue to bring trolley numbers down and to improve how our health and social care system works across seven days to allow consistent access to care.”

Requests for assessments of need for children spiked by 26 per cent last year compared to a year previous, and were 33 per cent above expected demand in 2024

There were 8,400 such requests in 2023 and more than 10,600 in 2024, in figures which had previously been shared by Children’s Minister Norma Foley in the Dáil.

Although there was a slight uptake on the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine compared to the previous year, the 89.9 per cent figure was below the target for 2024.

The chairman of the HSE’s board, Ciaran Devane, said in an introductory statement to the report that Ireland’s population is ageing “faster than that of any other country in the EU”.

Since 2015, the number of people aged 65 years and over has increased by 37 per cent.

Although life expectancy in Ireland, at 82.6 years, is ahead of the EU average, the burden of cancer is higher and accounts for a quarter of all deaths of those aged over 65.

Mr Gloster, who is to step down from his role in March 2026, said 2024 was a year of “real progress”.

“We reduced the number of people waiting on trolleys by over 10 per cent, expanded community services and improved access to scheduled care with an additional 24,000 patients seen within target timeframes.

“Our focus in 2025 will be to build on this momentum, improve patient flow and continue to reform how care is delivered across seven days.”