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FEBRUARY saw 289 patients waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Kerry, the highest number for the month since the same period in 2020.
Back in February 2020 there were 449 people waiting on trolleys at UHK, the highest since records began back in 2006.
The monthly Trolleywatch figures compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives organisation shows that the number of patients on trolleys in hospitals around the country was 10,040 in February.
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INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “February was an incredibly challenging month for nurses and midwives working in the Irish public health service with over 10,000 people admitted to hospital for care for whom there were no beds.
“We have seen serious spikes of overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick and across all Dublin hospitals throughout the month of February. It is clear that medium and long-term plans are needed to resolve the overcrowding issues in these hospitals.
“Nurses are working in extremely unsafe conditions. Their workplaces are not just overcrowded, they are also short staffed. When wards are not staffed correctly, it has a very profound impact on the level of care our members are able to provide to patients.
“The HSE and Minister for Health must give an update on whether the measures they introduced in January to relieve pressure on our health system have had a real impact and what they are going to do to prevent further spikes in March and April,” she said.
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