May saw worst overcrowding at UHL since 2013

Stock photo of the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick. Photo © University Hospitals Group

The Irish Nurses and Midwives organisation says last month was the worst May on record for overcrowding.

All around the country they counted 6,001 patients who were left waiting for beds during the month, almost 1,100 more than the previous record set in 2015 and 1,336 up on last year.

Galway was the worst performing with 671 but UHL wasn’t far behind on 627. That’s the worst May in Limerick for hospital overcrowding since 2013 and 35 up on last year.

South Tipperary General came in under 400 – the figure of 397 people, who were left waiting on Trolleys and overflow areas of wards, is down 51 on 2016.

But it’s still the second worst May for overcrowding at the hospital in Clonmel since the INMO started keeping records in 2006.

Better news for the people of South Tipp today though – there are no patients at all on trolleys at South Tipp General today according to the nurses.

The numbers are down all over the country, presumably a by product of the fine weather, but there are still 25 people with no bed in Limerick.

The national figure for today is 209.