Cork University Hospital (CUH) has the highest number of patients waiting on trolleys of any major hospital in Ireland as the HSE warn that the winter surge of flu and Covid is hitting healthcare settings hard.
There are currently 54 people in the CUH waiting on a trolley, according to information published by the HSE this morning. That's 20 more people than in Dublin's most backlogged hospital today - St James's.
University Hospital Limerick has the second highest number in the country, recording 41 patients still waiting for a bed. The HSE has said these numbers will grow as cases continue to rise. Numbers are expected to peak in mid-January.
The HSE was warned that Munster has seen an alarming spike in flu cases in the last month as cases quadrupled in the Mid-West region during the first half of December.
This has caused a sharp increase in the number of people attending emergency departments in hospitals around the country who then have to be admitted for various respiratory illnesses.
Just last week, people were urged to avoid Cork A&E departments where possible, with staff saying people should only go for 'major emergencies' as they struggled to cope with the surge in flu and Covid cases.
They have also advised people to stay at home and avoid social activities if they start to feel unwell after Christmas and New Year's festivities likely caused additional spreading of a number of respiratory illnesses.
Between October and the week of December 17, the HSE reported 102 cases of influenza (flu) and 531 cases of Covid-19 in the mid-west - they're encouraging people who have yet to be vaccinated against the diseases to do so.
In December, parents of young babies were urged to 'cocoon' them as the HSE issued a warning that cases of flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) were spreading at "very high levels".
The HSE today said: "COVID-19 continues to circulate at high levels with, with slight increases in recent weeks. The JN.1 variant of interest is fast becoming the dominant strain.
"The variant may be more transmissible than previous variants, resulting in more infections. Consequently, this may contribute to more cases overall, again increasing demand for services and leading to outbreaks in healthcare settings."
