More beds are “urgently” required in UHL, according to INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty. File picture: Dan Linehan

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly's announcement of a taskforce to tackle hospital overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick "hasn’t borne any fruit" with 98 patients on trolleys today, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

More beds are “urgently” required in UHL, according to INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty. She said she is extremely concerned there has been no alleviation of the winter numbers as hospitals enter the summer months. 

Today's total is the highest number of patients without a bed at the beginning of June since the INMO began counting trolleys in 2006. Many elective day procedures have been cancelled this week as the hospital struggles to cope with “unacceptable levels of overcrowding”, according to the INMO.

“Nurses and other healthcare staff cannot be expected to sustain this type of pressure all throughout the summer,” an INMO spokesperson said. “If the Government and HSE are serious about retaining those who already work in the health service, meaningful action must be taken to ensure safe care conditions for both patients and staff. 

No nurse wants to have to care for patients in sub-optimal conditions.

The union said the HSE Emergency Taskforce must reconvene and meet in Limerick alongside hospital representatives to “examine the situation there first-hand”.

The UL Hospitals Group apologised for the number on trolleys, adding: "In 2021, the ED at UHL saw a record 76,473 attendances, an increase of 17% on the previous year. In the first four months of this year, we have seen a further 26,548 ED attendances, an increase of another 20% on the corresponding period for 2021. 

"The number of over-75s attending our ED has risen by an even greater proportion. It is acknowledged by all parties that further additional bed capacity is required at UHL and we continue to progress the 96-bed block for UHL."

Across the country, 475 patients were waiting for beds on Wednesday morning, according to INMO Trolley Watch, which monitors hospital overcrowding.

In Cork, Cork University Hospital had 46 patients on trolleys while Mercy University Hospital has 17.

Read MorePlan to resolve Limerick hospital overcrowding expected 'over next two to three weeks'

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