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".