June hospital overcrowding at record levels, says INMO

Overcrowding in hospital emergency departments last month reached a record high for the month of June, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Over 7,775 people found themselves on trolleys during the month despite having been officially admitted to hospital, the union said.

This represented a 51 per cent increase over the same period last year, and the highest since the INMO started its TrolleyWatch count 12 years ago. This is the 12th month in a row overcrowding has risen compared to the same month the previous year.

The biggest increase was in St Vincent's hospital in Dublin, where trolley numbers were up 332 per cent on June 2014. University Hospital Waterford recorded a 178 per cent rise and Beaumont Hospital a 150 per cent increase.

The INMO said the figures showed actions put forward by the Government’s emergency department taskforce in April have not had any impact, and more investment is needed.

"The level of deterioration, and the resulting compromising of patient care and excessive workloads on nursing staff contained in these figures, is truly shocking," said INMO general secretary Liam Doran.

Figures yesterday showed overcrowding had eased: 255 patients were waiting to be admitted, with University Hospital Limerick having the worst figure at 28.