THE NUMBER of people on trolleys and wards awaiting a bed in an Irish hospital has risen today to a new high of over 670.
Figures revealed by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that there 677 patients waiting on trolleys in hospitals around the country today.
Last night, Minister for Health Simon Harris said "no effort or resource is being spared to improve the situation" in the health service.
This represents an increase of 21 on the record figure of 656 counted by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s (INMO) on Tuesday as part of its “Trolley Watch”, which monitors overcrowding in hospital emergency departments on a daily basis.
The HSE had on Tuesday warned that the situation of people waiting on wards and in emergency departments for beds could get worse before it gets better.
The HSE released its own figures today claiming that the figure was 507 patients waiting on trolleys.
The figures also show that 51 patients have been waiting on a trolley for more than 24 hours.
These figures are 6% higher compared with this day last year.
The figures were complied at 8am by the HSE and only cover patients on trolleys.
HSE national director Damien McCallion told The Irish Times that much of the problem has been caused by the spread of flu over the winter and that flu season is still “three or four weeks” from peaking.
Mr McCallion said “we’ll have to wait and see” if the flu causes overcrowding to get worse.
“We’re trying to encourage people to get their vaccine, particularly older people. It may, at a minimum, prevent the flu but also help avoid hospitalisation if someone does get the flu.”
