Over 400 patients remained in local hospital beds last year despite being medically discharged.
Figures presented at the a recent meeting of the Western Health Forum show 437 people remained in a hospital bed for a number of months despite their treatment concluding.
In many cases the delay in physical discharge was the result of a lack of step down beds or care facility openings.
229 patients in Sligo University Hospital remained in a hospital bed for up to three months following medical discharge, with 9 remaining between 3 to 6 months, and a further 3 patients waiting up to a year for physical discharge.
That's followed by Portiuncula Hospital where in 2023, 100 patients stayed in their hospital beds after discharge for various reasons over the course of the year, with the majority staying up to 3 months.
In Roscommon, The Hospital cared for 96 patients after their medical treatment ended, with the majority staying on up to three months, with a number in hospital beds for an extra 3 to 9 months.
Overall, the Saolta Hospital Group cared for 1884 patients in hospital beds for a number of months after they were medically discharged.
