THERE are 32 patients waiting on trolleys in the Emergency Department of University Hospital Kerry today according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO).

The hospital’s ED is experiencing a very busy week so far, with 28 patients waiting on trolleys on Tuesday and 23 on Monday.

Every morning at 8am, INMO members count how many patients are waiting in the Emergency Department for a bed and how many are waiting in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

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The INMO Trolley Watch counts the number of patients who have been admitted to acute hospitals, but who are waiting for a free bed.

These patients are often being treated on trolleys in corridors, but they may also be on chairs, in waiting rooms, or simply wherever there’s space. The INMO started Trolley Watch in 2004.