Hospital Discharges Delayed for Hundreds Due to Homelessness, Figures Show
Delayed discharges from hospitals due to persons having no fixed abode is staggeringly high, according to figures obtained by Labour TD Conor Sheehan.
The figures showed that 148 people in 2024, 149 people in 2025 and 24 so far in 2026 were unable to be discharged from the hospital because they had no fixed address.
Just last week, the Health Research Board released a report showing a concerning rise in deaths among people who were homeless in 2022.
Speaking on the figures, Conor Sheahan said: “The figures are stark, stubbornly high and growing.
“They highlight the lack of a well-coordinated national discharge plan, which would significantly reduce both hospital admissions and healthcare costs, and highlight the impact of the government's housing crisis on the most vulnerable in society.”
Sheahan argues that the true number of people may actually be higher, as many may be giving the address of a hostel, friend's or relative's address, or just simply self discharging.
Deputy Sheahan added: “People experiencing homelessness have huge barriers to access primary healthcare, whether it be a lack of transport, extremely limited financial means and long waiting lists or appointments.
“As a result, they are disproportionately more likely to present at acute hospitals. They often have difficulty or are not registered with a GP due to the paperwork involved. They often only seek emergency care when their symptoms become severe.
“There is a need for much more effective discharge planning to address medical conditions, but also for the period following hospital stay, to ensure they have follow-up care.
“However, hospital discharge can be a traumatic experience for people experiencing homelessness.
“There is a lack of data and research on hospital discharge planning and homelessness.
“The high level of homelessness in this country means that we need to develop new national hospital discharge protocols tailored to people in homelessness.
“The independent evaluation of the Dublin Hospital Homeless Discharge Protocol and Inclusion Health Services has highlighted the success of the programme on the quality of care for patients experiencing homelessness, but we need to ensure that this is replicated nationwide.
“We must develop a comprehensive, integrated care and case management service for homeless individuals, which is rolled out nationwide in addition to increasing Housing First targets."