There was almost a 25% decrease in the number of people waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Kerry during July this year.
That’s according to figures from the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation.
The INMO figures show there were 314 patients on trolleys in UHK during the month of July, that’s a drop of 24.3% when compared to the same month last year when 415 people waited on trolleys.
In July of 2021, there were 235 people waiting on trolleys, while there were 170 people waiting for a bed in UHK during the same month in 2020.
In 2019, the number of people waiting for a bed at UHK during July stood at 345, while it was 289 in 2018.
Nationally, 7,832 people have been without a hospital bed throughout the second month of this year.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha, who is from Ventry, says the fact that over 7,800 people were on trolleys in July is a red flag warning for the autumn and winter ahead.
She says the HSE must clearly set out what measures it intends to take to reduce the levels of overcrowding in hospitals in the coming months.
