One is too many.
At the moment, there are 516 people across Ireland on trolleys waiting for hospital beds to become available.
According to figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and printed in the Irish Medical Times today, 409 patients are on trolleys in EDs across the country and a further 107 are on trolleys in overcrowded wards.
University Hospital Limerick is suffering from the worst overcrowding, with 42 patients on trolleys. 516 is an extremely drastic number of patients on trolleys. When the figure was 495 in 2006, then-Minister for Health Mary Harney described the situation as ‘a national crisis’.
Health Minister Leo Varadkar is due to speak at St. James’ Hospital today about the continuing problem of overcrowded hospitals.
Mayo Hospital, St. Luke’s in Kilkenny, Beaumont in Dublin, Tullamore Hospital and Drogheda all currently have over 30 patients each on trolleys.
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