A STUDY carried out by the Irish Nutses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has shown that the number of people waiting for beds on trolleys in the emergency department of the University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has reduced slightly.
In February of last year, 709 patients had to wait on trolleys in the emergency department or wards while last month there were 630. This is still considerably higher than February 2013 when there were 534 on trollies.
On a countrywide basis, the numbers fell by 8 per cent but an INMO spokesperson said that the the increasing figures in some hospitals confirm that the system continues to be under unsustainable pressure.
INMO General Secretary Liam Doran said: “While this marginal reduction is welcome, the figures confirm we continue to face a deep crisis with regard to overcrowding in emergency departments.
The INMO has convened a national meeting of its representatives in emergency departments across the country for Wednesday of next week to review the local implementation of the recent agreement.
