Nurses call for major-incident protocol as trolley numbers hit record high

A call by nurses for a major incident protocol to be adopted across the country to alleviate hospital overcrowding has been backed by opposition parties, as the number of people waiting on trolleys hit a record high.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said 760 admitted patients were without a bed today, a new high since records began, with University Hospital Limerick also breaking the daily record for an individual hospital, with 92 patients on trolleys.