The Irish Hospital Consultants Association claims the number of people on trolleys could exceed 800 in the coming days.
There was an all-time record of 760 patients stranded without a bed in Irish hospitals yesterday.
The HSE has apologised and says it is due to a surge in the number of people presenting with flu.
Dr. Laura Durcan, a consultant rheumatologist in Beaumont Hospital and the vice-president of the IHCA, fears things will get worse in the coming days.
"There is a strong feeling around the hospitals that the wheels are coming off the cart finally and that it is all starting to fall apart," she said.
"I hope that things may start to improve and I hope that we're not approaching a healthcare apocalypse where things finally just give up altogether but I would worry in the short-term that we may hit the 800 number."
