By Denise O’Donoghue
There were 10,446 on hospital trolleys in hospitals around the country in February.
Figures compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show 23% more people on trolleys than February last year, when 8,515 people were on trolleys.
The worst-hit hospitals in February 2020 included:
- University Hospital Limerick: 1,286
- Cork University Hospital: 1,031
- University Hospital Galway: 805
- South Tipperary General Hospital: 653
- St Vincent’s University Hospital: 535
"The long-running trolley crisis has to be priority number one in the government talks," said INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha.
10,000 people have been lining the corridors and waiting rooms of Ireland's hospitals in February. Our members are forced to provide care in appalling conditions.
"Meanwhile qualified healthcare staff are queueing up to work, but hospitals are unable to hire them. We have asked the health spokespeople of all the major parties to lift the recruitment embargo, and whatever the make-up of the next government we will insist that these obstacles to safe staffing are removed immediately."
There are 488 patients waiting for beds this morning, with 363 in the emergency department and 125 in wards elsewhere in the hospital.
The worst-hit hospitals today are:
- University Hospital Limerick: 59
- Cork University Hospital: 50
- University Hospital Galway: 35
- St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny: 31
