The trolley crisis deepened in 2018, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
According to data from the INMO, 108,227 patients went without beds either in A&E or in other hospital wards. The figure represents a 9% increase on 2017. It is the second year in a row that Ireland has broken its own record for patients on trolleys.
According to the Limerick Leader, Limerick University Hospital was the worst hit throughout the year, with more than 11,000 patients denied a bed at some point.
Tweeting about the state of affairs, the INMO has said: “Coming out of the worst-ever year for overcrowding and patients without beds, we’re expecting serious problems in January and February. Solution is the same as we’ve always said: expanding health service capacity. That means more beds, which means more nurses and midwives.”
>> Coming out of the worst-ever year for overcrowding and patients without beds, we're expecting serious problems in January and February.
Solution is the same as we've always said: expanding health service capacity. That means more beds, which means more nurses and midwives.
— Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) December 31, 2018
The announcement follows a decision taken by nurses in mid-December to go on strike over pay and staff shortages.
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