(September 17th 2026) Tallaght University Hospital (TUH), one of Ireland’s major academic teaching hospitals, today published its 2025 Annual Report, detailing a year marked by unprecedented demand, rising complexity of patient need, and significant improvements in patient experience times. The report reflects the realities of a rapidly growing catchment population and the sustained pressures facing acute care services.
The publication follows the launch of the Hospital’s five‑year strategy in September 2025, which provides the framework for how the Hospital will evolve to meet future demand. The strategy sets out the priorities, capabilities and partnerships needed to deliver modern, high-quality care for a population projected to reach one million by 2030 – a 25% increase since 2024.
Demand for care again exceeded capacity in 2025, with the Hospital averaging 115% occupancy and operating at the highest level of activity since opening. This sustained pressure reflects a measurable shift in the volume and complexity of patients requiring acute care.
The year also marked a significant national development with the Hospital’s designation as a supraregional centre for Endometriosis, one of only two such centres in the country. This designation recognises the Hospital’s leadership in women’s health and its role in delivering specialist, multidisciplinary care for patients with complex endometriosis.
Key Highlights from 2025
- 115% average occupancy, with demand consistently exceeding available bed capacity
- Highest activity levels since the Hospital opened
- 63,294 attendances to ED, a 14% increase since 2023
- 29% increase in ED attendances among people aged over 75 since 2023
- 30% reduction in patients waiting over 24 hours in the ED since 2023
- 33% reduction in patients on trolleys in 2023
- 302,005 people attended outpatient appointments
- Major progress on patient flow, multidisciplinary coordination, and access and safety
- Significant advancement of strategic developments that will shape future care delivery
Commenting on the publication of the annual report, Professor Anne Marie Brady, Chair of the Hospital Board, said: “The publication of our 2025 Annual Report comes at a pivotal time for the Hospital. Demand for care again exceeded capacity of the Hospital in the last year; we operated at an average occupancy of 115% and delivered the highest level of activity since the Hospital opened. This is not simply pressure; it is a sustained and measurable shift in the volume and complexity of patients requiring acute care. Investment in capacity is critical if we are to meet the needs of our growing population and deliver safe, high-quality care for our patients.”
Barbara Keogh Dunne, CEO of TUH, commenting on the publication of the annual report said: “2025 was a year of extraordinary pressure across almost every service. Urgent and Emergency Care alone has seen a 30% rise in attendances since 2023, with a 29% increase among people aged over 75. These trends reflect demographic change and the growing complexity of care needs, and they reinforce the necessity of additional beds, modern infrastructure and sustained capital investment. Despite these challenges, our teams delivered significant improvements in patient experience times. The number of patients waiting over 24 hours in the ED fell by 30%, and trolley numbers reduced by 33%. These improvements were achieved through strengthened patient‑flow processes, enhanced multidisciplinary coordination, provision of an additional 30 step-down beds and a relentless focus on access and safety.”
“We also advanced several important developments with the support of the HSE that will shape the future of care, including our designation as a supraregional centre for Endometriosis, one of only two nationally. Across the organisation, there is a deep and sustained commitment to improving effectiveness, strengthening performance and delivering high‑quality care. This includes a continued focus on value for money and ensuring that public funds are used wisely, responsibly and in ways that deliver the greatest benefit for patients. I am profoundly grateful to our staff for their professionalism, compassion and unwavering dedication throughout the year.”
To read the TUH Annual Report in full – click here.
