More than 1,000 people went without a bed at University Hospital Galway in January, as INMO figures reveal no improvement in hospital overcrowding across the State.
Some 12,132 patients were on trolleys or chairs in Irish hospitals in the first month of the year, including 278 children.
The top three most overcrowded hospitals in the country were University Hospital Limerick with 2,073 patients going without a bed, Cork University Hospital with 1,632, and University Hospital Galway with 1,041.
Both Letterkenny and Sligo University Hospitals had more than 700 people on trolleys throughout the month.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha said that another January has passed with hospital overcrowding remaining a serious problem in Irish hospitals.
“There were only three instances this month where less than 500 people were waiting on trolleys, chairs or other inappropriate bed spaces,” she said.
“Hundreds of people are sick enough to be admitted to hospital each day but there is no bed for them. Some of the care environments are totally inappropriate, in some instances the care is provided on chairs. It is clear that capacity in the health system isn’t sufficient.
“We have not seen a significant drop in the number of patients on trolleys. We need more beds and we need more patient-facing staff. The HSE must agree a realistic workforce plan which provides for sufficient nurses and midwives to be employed to provide safe care and plan for more beds to open.”
Ms Ní Sheaghdha said that patient safety is of the utmost importance to INMO members, and that they want to be in a position to provide safe and timely care.
“It is the view of INMO members that hospital overcrowding has not improved. On each hospital site the occupancy rate is above 83% which means that the provision of safe care is compromised.”
