Nearly 9,500 patients were admitted to hospital without a bed during the month of June.
Figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that University Hospital Limerick was by far the worst hit by overcrowding last month.
The facility which serves North Tipp, Limerick and Clare had 1,666 patients on trolleys.
This compares with 1,051 at University Hospital Galway which was the next busiest.
No beds were available for 119 patients admitted to TUH in Clonmel.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha says the fact that 9,437 people were treated on trolleys in June is clear evidence that our health system is still far too reliant on a hospital system that that doesn’t have enough beds.
The union leader says the HSE’s recruitment freeze is making it harder to provide safe and timely care as it is becoming more difficult to fill rosters when staffing is so short.
