Kerry A&E had 21 on trolleys that were meant to hold 4

ACCIDENT and emergency staff working at Kerry General Hospital had to care for 21 patients on trolleys in a department designed to cater for four, the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said yesterday.

The INO claims such overcrowding had become the norm at the hospital and it blamed continuous under-resourcing of services at the hospital.

The funding situation had culminated in the closure of a 24-bed surgical ward. “This closure seems set to continue unless additional funds are forthcoming from the HSE,” said the INO.