St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny has 21 patients waiting on a bed - INMO

Twenty-one patients were waiting on a bed at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny today according to INMO figures.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called for direct intervention from the HSE and the Minister for Health as trolley numbers spiral nationally. In total, 549 patients are on trolleys, with 111 patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick. It's the second day in a row where a national record has been broken by the Limerick hospital. 

“The situation in our hospitals, particularly University Hospital Limerick is now out of control," INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said. “It is unacceptable to our members that this level of overcrowding is allowed to continue while COVID is still a very real feature in our hospitals. 

“Yesterday, the INMO called for HIQA to investigate the situation in University Hospital Limerick. In tandem with this we believe it is time for direct intervention from the HSE and the Minister for Health.  

“Time and time again, our members have called for real and meaningful action to curb the overcrowding crisis in our hospitals. We cannot go back to business as usual in our hospitals as society begins to reopen. Non-emergency care must be curtailed in our hospitals until the end of February to allow nurses and midwives to have some chance of doing their jobs safely.”