Letterkenny University Hospital was amongst the most overcrowded in the country last month
650 patients were recorded waiting on trolleys in the emergency department over January.
Official figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show the hospital had the fourth highest overcrowding levels across the country’s acute hospital system in January 2023.
University Hospital Limerick topped the list with 1180 patients on trolleys over the last 31 days.
“Nurses and their patients deserve better than this,” said INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said.
“A lack of adequate planning has put unnecessary stress on nurses and the patients they are trying to provide care for throughout the month of January. The number of patients on trolleys in wards outside our emergency departments have been unacceptably high. This practice should not be allowed to continue as a measure to try take pressure off our emergency departments,” Ní Sheaghdha said.
“According to two recent opinion polls, over 75% of people would not visit an Emergency Department. The strategy of telling people to not attend hospital will have knock-on effects across the health service for months to come.
“We cannot continue to accept the wait until things get unbearably bad approach before an attempt is made to lessen the pressure on our public hospital system. “
