Almost 18,000 people without beds in University Hospital Limerick so far this year

ALMOST 18,000 patients have been admitted to University Hospital Limerick without a bed so far this year, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

17,668 people have been on Trolleys since January 1, to October 25, including 7,384 in the Emergency Department, and 10,284 in wards elsewhere.

These figures come after a record-breaking number of patients have been reported on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick this Monday morning. 

INMO General Secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: "The INMO Executive Council met yesterday and have reinforced the position that safe staffing underpinned by legislation is urgently required in order to protect patients no matter where they are in the system.

"The INMO will now commence a process of engagement with its members to ensure any instances where they are compelled to deviate from safe practice are resisted to ensure they are not being asked to provide ever increasing services with a reduced workforce.

From a national point of view, over 101,240 patients have been admitted to hospital without a bed so far this year, including 582 today, according to the INMO.

"Behind the trolley figures that the INMO publishes every day are extremely vulnerable patients being treated in undignified and dangerous conditions. Over 100,000 people have gone without a bed this year and it isn’t even the end of October, this was entirely predictable. It is shocking that the necessary measures have not been taken by the HSE and individual hospital groups to alleviate this level of overcrowding," said Ms Ní Sheaghdha.