The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has found, following a review of the July Trolley/Ward Watch figures, that 6,715 patients were on trolleys during the past month. This represents a 21% increase, on July 2014, and is the highest ever level of overcrowding recorded for the month of July.
In July a number of hospitals endured a significant increase in their overcrowding levels including St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny where a 111% increase on July 2014 was recorded.
Naas General Hospital, Tallaght Hospital, Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown and University Hospital Galway all experienced increases in their overcrowding levels as well.
However the highest levels of overcrowding were recorded in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda with 769; University Hospital, Galway with 654 and Beaumont Hospital with 643.
South Tipperary General Hospital broke this trend, however, recording a reduction of the numbers of people waiting on trolleys in the month of July. The figure was 58 this July – down from 118 in July of last year and 284 in July of 2013.
