The latest figures released by the Irish Nurses
and Midwives Organisation show that there was 27 patients waiting on a bed at University Hospital
Waterford. 23 of this number were on a trolley while 4 were in a ward waiting
on a bed.
Nationally the figures released show that 612
patients were admitted to hospitals and waiting in trolleys.
The number of patients waiting for beds on
Tuesday January 3 is a record number nationally for a given day, and were
announced on the same day that it was confirmed that 93,621 people were
admitted to hospital on a trolley during 2016, a number that is a record high
for any calendar year.
In March 2006, 495 patients were waiting on
trolleys after they were admitted to hospital nationally. The situation at the
time was declared a National Emergency.
Elsewhere in the region, Numbers at individual
hospitals waiting on beds were also high.
At Cork University Hospital 33 patients were
waiting on trolleys, seven more than were waiting at the nearby Mercy University
Hospital Cork.
At South Tipperary General Hospital the numbers
waiting for beds were 31, while the number at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kilkenny
the number was 41. At Wexford General Hospital the number waiting for a number
was 18.
