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THE number of patients waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Kerry in September was more than double the previous highest number for the month, according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations (INMO).
There were 282 patients on trolleys last month, up from 114 in 2017 and more than double the previous record of 138 in 2015.
The INMO’s monthly Trolley Watch Analysis showed that nationally 7,765 admitted patients were treated without hospital beds in September 2018. 68 of them were under 16.
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INMO general secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said: “Nearly 8,000 people on trolleys should be regarded as a national crisis. But it’s become business as usual in the Irish health service.
“Our members are telling us that they can’t go on with this number of unfilled vacancies. It’s not safe for patients and it’s not safe for staff.
“The HSE simply cannot hire enough nurses and midwives on these wages. Unless pay increases, vacancies will remain open, wards will remain understaffed and things will only get worse.”
