There were 583 people waiting for a bed in hospitals around the country as nurses gear up to announce the first in a series of 24-hour strikes.
The trolley watch figure has risen by 200 since last week.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said Cork University Hospital was the most overcrowded this morning, with 43 patients waiting for a bed.
Meanwhile, 35 patients were waiting at St Vincent’s University Hospital, 27 were waiting at the Mater Misericordiae and 26 were waiting at University Hospital Limerick.
583 patients were waiting for beds in Irish hospitals this morning. 61 of these are on trolleys in #Cork UH, 43 people are waiting in #Letterkenny and 43 people in UH #Limerick.
For full trolley figures see https://t.co/QpFoi5Y62G
— Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation (@INMO_IRL) January 8, 2019
It comes as the INMO prepares to announce the “initial first set” of their 24-hour strike dates.
Some 95% of INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) members voted in favour of industrial action last month.
The organisation said the dispute centres on safe staffing in the health service – with wages in nursing and midwifery too low to recruit and retain enough staff to safely run Ireland’s hospitals.
The strikes will see members providing only lifesaving and emergency care.
Workplace conditions
Mervyn Taylor from patient group Sage Advocacy said patients will suffer even more if the strikes go ahead – but warned that the Government must do more to protect medical workers.
“Nursing must be seen as a vital essential public service,” he said.
“Government needs to reflect that in its approach not just to pay but in conditions of employment.
“The way people experience their every day work in the health service is a really big factor.”
Public finances
On Newstalk Breakfast however, Fine Gael TD Noel Rock criticised the timing of the strikes – and called on the organisation to honour the current Public Sector Pay Agreement.
“You are looking at €300m in the pay claim from nurses and midwives alone,” he said. “A 12% increase across the board.”
“Now, I don’t think anybody is saying no, no, no to everything.
“What the existing public sector pay agreement sets out is a raise of between 6% and 8%.”
The INMO will announce its strike action at 3:30pm this afternoon.
