Today’s report by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation shows that a shocking 576 people spent time on a trolley at University Hospital Galway during the month of April.
This is up from 410 in April 2017, but down from April 2016’s figure of 587.
In 2006, it was just 208.
April saw a dramatic year-on-year increase in trolley figures at Portiuncula Hospital, with 135 patients on trolleys.
That figure was 73 last April and 18 the year before.
Taking both Galway hospitals together, April was the worst on record; on April 12th, there were 58 people on trolleys at UHG.
That number halved in less than 24 hours, coinciding with the Taoiseach’s visit to Galway.
Nationally, there was a 30% increase in trolley figures for April between 2018 and 2017.
