The number of people waiting on trolleys at University Hospital Kerry last month was over 10 times higher than a decade ago.
That’s according to the Trolley Watch Analysis for October from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
It shows that last month, a total of 343 people waited on trolleys at UHK.
The INMO says there was record overcrowding for the month of October in University Hospital Kerry.
It says the rapid rise in trolley numbers is of grave concern.
Last month, 343 people were forced to wait on trolleys at UHK.
This is the highest number seen on trolleys during any October over the past 16 years, and is over 10 times higher than the figure a decade ago.
In October 2011, a total of 30 people waited on trolleys at UHK, that dropped to 26 the next year, but rose to 52, and then 72 in the following years.
There was a sharp rise to 137 patients on trolleys at UHK in October 2015, then the number increased to 199 the following year, then to 240 in 2017, 287 in 2018, and 306 patients in 2019.
There was a drop down to 241 people on trolley at UHK in October 2020, but then there was a jump of over 100 patients to 343 during October of this year.
