There are still over 600 people lying on trolleys awaiting admission to hospitals around the country.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reported that 602 people have been counted today. Nurses have been described by patients as ‘red in the face’ from the workload and the guilt of seeing elderly people lying on trolleys.
The figure is only a slight drop from yesterday’s all time record high of 612 people on trolleys.
However, the situation has worsened at certain hospitals. Naas General has had a significant increase with a 75% rise in the number of people on trolleys in the last 24 hours.
University Hospital Limerick has 20 more cases than yesterday, bringing its total to 66.
HSE targets state that the number of patients on trolleys on any one day should not exceed 236.
Minister for Transport Shane Ross described the situation in hospital emergency rooms as “close to a crisis”. Health Minister Simon Harris has called it “a perfect storm”.
Labour spokesperson for Health Alan Kelly said: “The Minister’s so-called ‘perfect storm’ is an indictment of his failure to adequately plan, prepare, and ensure appropriate resources are in place.
The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) have called for politicians to “stop blaming flu” for the overcrowding.