Seven acute hospitals had 30 or more admitted patients waiting for a bed today and the worst-hit hospital was University Hospital Limerick with 76 waiting.

The most drastic action or “last resort” available to hospitals when dealing with emergency department (ED) overcrowding has already been deployed 1,600 times this year.

The Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said unless long term measures are in place to tackle overcrowding in emergency departments the numbers of patients on trolleys will soar in the New Year.