There were 1,450 admitted patients waiting on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick this month, making it the most overcrowded public acute hospital in the country.

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.

Hospital overcrowding continued yesterday, with 500 people waiting for an in-patient bed, according to the Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation.

With 528 patients on trolleys for up to 20 hours awaiting hospital beds, emergency medicine consultants have repeated to HSE chiefs the overcrowding crisis will not be solved without extra doctors, nurses and beds.