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Hospital overcrowding is 'out of control' as St Luke's Kilkenny trolley numbers rise

Hospital overcrowding is 'out of control' as St Luke's Kilkenny trolley numbers rise

St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny has over 30 patients waiting for a bed this morning.

It comes as the INMO is warning of an "extremely serious" overcrowding situation in Irish hospitals.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation recorded the highest number of people on trolleys in over a year nationally on Tuesday.

This morning, St Luke's in Kilkenny is among 5 hospitals that are seeing the worst overcrowding with 34 patients on trolleys.

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Elsewhere in the South East, 13 patients are without a bed in Tipperary University Hospital, 10 in Wexford General while there are 2 people waiting on trolleys in Univesity Hospital Waterford.

Natiowide, 508 patients are being treated on trolleys at hospitals across the country.

That's down from 584 yesterday, according to the INMO.

University Hospital Limerick remains the busiest, with 67 people awaiting a bed.

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The number of patients on trolleys last week is up 190% on the same week last year.

The INMO says overcrowding is "out of control" in many facilities, and putting patients and staff in danger.

Meanwhile, just under 28,000 people attended emergency departments last week, an all-time high.

That number is up 46% on the same week last year.

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Of those 28,000 attendances, only 25% were admitted.

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