This month was University Hospital Waterford’s worst so far this year for Emergency Department overcrowding.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation 590 patients were left waiting for beds at UHW in July, the highest number since November 2017.

January was the only other month in 2019 when more than 500 patients were waiting on trolleys in Waterford.

This month’s figure is also up 82% when compared to July of last year when 323 people were waiting on trolleys.

Nationally, 9,439 hospital patients were left waiting for beds over the past month, the highest ever number recorded in July.

The figures are 33% higher than the same month last year.

University Hospital Limerick recorded the highest emergency department waiting figures, with 1,293 people left on trolleys since the beginning of July.

INMO Director of Industrial Relations, Tony Fitzpatrick said:

“Each day there are hundreds of patients languishing in corridors, waiting for a hospital bed. Currently, over 700 patients cannot be discharged from hospital. In the meantime, hundreds of frontline nursing and midwifery posts are currently vacant due to the HSE’s dysfunctional and bureaucratic employment control processes.

“Vital roles across all services, at all grades, in all hospitals are left unfilled. This has direct negative consequences for patients.

“We expect increased demands on the health service in winter, but now even summer sees patients crammed into corridors on trolleys. It is creating unacceptable risks for patients and health workers alike.”