'Dangerous situation' at Cork University Hospital as trolley numbers hit 16-year high

Sources at the hospital described conditions as “the worst they’ve ever experienced”.

As well as 84 patients waiting on trolleys, there were delays of up to 10 hours in ambulance offloads, which was having a knock-on impact on the availability of ambulances across the region. File photo: Larry Cummins

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has warned of a "dangerous situation" at Cork University Hospital (CUH) after recording the highest number of patients on trolleys there in over 16 years.

As of Tuesday morning, 84 people were waiting on trolleys at CUH for admission. It is the highest number recorded at CUH since the union began its Trolleywatch tracker in 2006. INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Liam Conway, said the figures come as no surprise to those working in the hospital.