‘Out of control’ – high number of patients on trolleys at Kilkenny hospital today
St Luke’s General Hospital in Kilkenny is experiencing one of the highest levels of overcrowding in the country today.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) this morning confirmed there are a total of 549 patients on hospital trolleys. INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the situation in ou hospitals “is now out of control”.
She added: “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.
“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.”
St Luke’s reported the joint seventh highest level in the country, with 21 patients left waiting for a bed, the majority (12) being in the A&E ward.
University Hospital Limerick again (111) recorded the highest number of patients on trolleys, followed by Letterkenny University Hospital (54), Cork University Hospital (49), Galway University Hospital (46), Sligo University Hospital (27) and Mercy University Hospital (24).
