Trolley crisis could worsen hospital waiting lists, patients warned 

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said it counted 735 people on trolleys on Wednesday morning. This included 109 patients at UHL, 79 at CUH and 86 at Galway University Hospital. File picture: iStock

Patients could face even longer hospital waiting lists this year as overcrowding this month leads to wards being used for emergency patients instead of non-urgent care.

In addition, in some areas patients whose houses do not have water or electricity cannot go home leading to further pressures on beds.