THERE were 17 people waiting on trolleys in Kerry General Hospital today according to figures from the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO).

This exceeds the number of 16 patients waiting on September 15 of this year which was a record since the INMO started compiling the figures, based on daily checks in emergency departments across the country, nine years ago.

There were 11 patients waiting on trolleys at the hospital yesterday.

In August the organisation called on the HSE to specifically recruit staff for Kerry General Hospital with INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Michael Dineen, describing the shortage of nurses situation as “at crisis point” and “untenable”.