There were over 900 patients on trolleys at UHG last month, in by far the worst March on record for overcrowding.
Last month there were a total of 947 patients without beds at University Hospital Galway.
This is more than six times what was seen in the same month last year, and far above the 722 on trolleys in 2019, the second worst year on record.
Portiuncula Hospital also experience record breaking overcrowding last month, with 339 patients who went without a bed, almost five times higher than the same period the previous year.
This is also significantly higher than the second worst year on record in 2017, where there 259 on trolleys in Portiuncula in March.
UHG was the second most overcrowded in the country behind UH Limerick, where there were a staggering 1,671 patients on trolleys in March.
INMO General Secretary Phíl Ní Sheaghdha said “When nurses and midwives use phrases like ‘out of control’ and ‘chaotic’ to describe hospital overcrowding we do not do so lightly.”
“It has been an extremely busy month for those working in our hospitals with over 37% of those who have been on trolleys since the beginning of 2022 presenting to our hospitals in March.”
Nationwide there were a total of 11,001 patients without beds in March, the highest figure for the month since records began in 2006.
“Hospitals are currently not safe for patients or for staff because of the level of overcrowding and COVID infection levels.”
“We need clear and coherent public health advice from Government and senior public health officials.”
“The public need to be made aware of why we need them to once again step up to the plate in order to protect those who are working on our frontlines.”
The INMO and Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) have called for the reintroduction of indoor mask wearing to combat the spread of the virus.
