Some 359 people are waiting for treatment at the country's hospitals this evening.

TEN major hospitals have been forced to offer services despite failing to reach the necessary staffing levels due to ongoing public service employment restrictions.

LIMERICK’S Mid-Western Maternity Hospital was last night named and shamed as the worst place in Ireland for patients’ meals.

Overcrowding at hospitals in Cavan and Drogheda is reaching crisis point with patients facing extreme hardship and inhumane conditions, the Irish Nurses Organisation claimed today.