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THE number of patients waiting on trolleys in the Emergency Department and wards in University Hospital Kerry in March was the highest ever for that month, according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
There were 360 patients on trolleys compared to the previous high of 297 in 2017, an increase of around 20%.
Overall, nationally there was a 14% increase on February 2019. The total number of patients waiting on trolleys in March was 9,714, including 117 children. The average daily figure for the month was 486.
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INMO general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said; “Overcrowding remains endemic in Ireland’s hospitals. Other countries are investing in their nurses and midwives – we need to do the same to recruit and retain more staff.
“If our health service doesn’t see staffing and capacity increases, conditions will only worsen for patients and staff alike.”
