Thirty patients waiting for a bed at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny

There are 30 patients waiting on a bed at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny today, figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show.

The organisation has recorded that 11,842 patients were admitted to hospitals nationally without a bed in December.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said:

“570 patients are without a bed in Irish hospitals today, we know from experience that in the first weeks of January that trolley figures could have the potential to nearly double. The State cannot walk into the next week unprepared for what could be a severe overcrowding crisis.

“We have had silent acceptance from Government and the HSE on this type of overcrowding for far too long. The HSE have acknowledged that things are going to get worse in our hospitals before they get better but have not outlined what precise supports will be made available to our members in the coming days and weeks ahead.

“The HSE has a duty as an employer and as a service provider to take the necessary steps to scale up capacity. The current state of our health system is extremely concerning. The INMO has called for the HSE to have a realistic plan. We cannot allow a drift into this dangerous situation emerging across the country.”