Minister for Health highlights sustained improvements in Urgent and Emergency Care performance
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 16 February 2026
- Last updated on: 16 February 2026
- 25% fewer patients waiting on trolleys at 8am after St Brigid’s Bank Holiday weekend, compared to same period in 2025
- 10% reduction in overall daily average 8am trolley count despite increase in presentations
- Sustained improvements are the result of a whole-service approach to productivity and effective delivery
The Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has today highlighted significant progress in national health service performance during the early weeks of the year and over the recent St Brigid’s Bank Holiday weekend.
On Tuesday 3 February, there were 25% fewer patients (463 vs 617) waiting on trolleys, compared to the same period in 2025.
This performance is particularly notable as it was achieved in the face of an 8% national increase in demand for urgent care services over the holiday period, including an 8% rise in attendances by those aged 75 and over.
The figures in the Urgent and Emergency Care Situation Report demonstrate that the system is showing increased resilience despite record demand.
Minister Carroll MacNeill said:
"The continuous hard work of all health care staff in our urgent and emergency care services has resulted in significant improvements for patients
“While challenges remain in our health service, these results highlight what can be achieved when staff are supported to deliver a whole-service approach that increases productivity, improves patient flow and eases congestion. We must continue to build on this progress.
“With our flu vaccination programme, we saw improved uptake among children aged 2 to 17 who are eligible for a free nasal spray vaccine, and of course our RSV immunisation programme for infants has further reduced the incidences of serious illness and helped more people to avoid ED attendances and hospital admissions.
“My department remains committed to supporting continued progress in urgent and emergency care services, with ongoing investment in staff, infrastructure, and innovative solutions to ensure that patients receive the care they need in a timely and efficient manner.”
Progress in reducing congestion in hospitals has been achieved due to a combination of several strategic measures, including the availability of more senior decision makers on sites during evenings and weekends, the expansion of virtual care initiatives, more efficient performance managing at national level and additional primary care services to support hospital avoidance.
Increased uptake of the flu vaccine has also been significant, with more than one million people receiving their flu vaccines throughout winter 2025/2026, helping to reduce the spread of infection and serious illness, particularly among vulnerable groups.
Notes
The report attributes the improved stability of urgent and emergency care services to several strategic drivers
- Public Only Consultant Contract (POCC): As of late 2025, 3,261 consultants (66% of the workforce) have signed up to the POCC, facilitating enhanced senior decision-making during evenings and weekends.
- Expansion of Virtual Care: The number of hospitals utilizing Acute Virtual Wards has expanded from two to seven, helping to save thousands of bed days.
- Operational Oversight: The system is now performance-managed daily at a national level, including seven-day-a-week monitoring by the HSE CEO and senior leadership to ensure immediate corrective actions.
- Community Support: An additional 40,000 GP hours (20,000 in surgeries and 20,000 in out-of-hours services) were provided this season, facilitating an estimated 138,000 extra consultations to support hospital avoidance.
While the national trend is positive, with 17 of 29 hospitals improving their average trolley counts in 2025, the Minister noted that performance remains variable. Several hospitals, including University Hospital Waterford, Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown, and the Midland Regional Hospitals, continue to demonstrate excellent "operational grip" by maintaining safe patient flow even under pressure.
However, the West North-West Region continues to give significant cause for concern. While other regions have shown evidence of sustained recovery following a difficult January, the West North-West faces persistent pressures on patient flow and waiting times. The Department remains focused on these challenges, and the Minister has requested focused and sustained action to stabilize services in the region and mitigate risks to patient safety
To address these variations, the Minister is currently chairing a series of Regional Productivity Workshops throughout February. Following workshops for the Dublin and Southern regions, a dedicated session for the West North-West Region was held this week to embed seven-day working models and reduce reliance on agency staff.