Post bank holiday surge sees number of patients on trolleys jump by 100 

The latest trolley figures come just as the HSE appealed for people seeking medical care to 'consider all options' before attending a hospital's emergency department.

Hospital overcrowding is having a "negative impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of nurses", the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has claimed, as 593 patients were waiting for beds in hospitals across Ireland. 

This number has increased by almost 100 since Tuesday, when there were 495 patients on trolleys. The INMO said this post-bank holiday surge "was entirely predictable". 

Of the 593 people waiting for beds on Wednesday, 77 are in University Hospital Limerick, the highest number in the country on Wednesday. 

The second highest figure was recorded in Cork University Hospital, where a total of 73 patients are on trolleys. Four of those waiting on trolleys across the country are under the age of 16. 

A INMO spokesperson told the Irish Examiner: "These types of surges after a bank holiday are not new, they happen each time and it is clear that many hospitals are not preparing properly.

This level of hospital overcrowding is having a negative impact on the physical and mental wellbeing of nurses. 

"Our members have made it clear they cannot continue to work in these conditions year-round with absolutely zero reprieve. Real, tangible action must be taken to radically reduce hospital overcrowding."

The latest trolley figures come just as the HSE appealed for people seeking medical care to "consider all options" before attending a hospital's emergency department as they expect "continued pressure on acute hospitals in the coming days."