Thousands of over-75s face 24-hour waits in hospitals

Almost 6,000 elderly people over the age of 75 have been forced to wait on hospital trolleys and in emergency departments for more than 24 hours this year despite a Government commitment to end the scandal.

The new figures were revealed as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said a massive 57,674 people were on trolleys in the first seven months of this year, a new record that comes just a day after it emerged hospital waiting lists are at their highest ever recorded.

When the HSE’s service plan for this year was published last December, officials publicly promised to ensure no one over the age of 75 would be forced to wait a day or more for treatment at a hospital emergency department in Ireland.