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THE number of patients waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Kerry in October was the highest ever for the month, according to the latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisations (INMO).
There were 287 patients on trolleys last month, up from 240 in 2017 which was the previous record.
Nationally, 9,055 admitted patients were forced to wait on trolleys and chairs for beds in October.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: “Over 9,000 patients forced to wait on trolleys and it’s not even peak winter season. Figures like these do not adequately express the hardship endured by patients who find themselves in these circumstances. The negative health impacts of this overcrowding are known, yet this is not addressed as a national priority.
“Our current health service simply does not have the capacity to cope. The government accept that we need additional beds, but we do not have a plan to tackle this daily problem. Opening extra beds requires extra nurses, but low pay means there is no immediate prospect of recruiting additional nurses or retaining current ones.”
