More than 600 people waiting on trolleys with UHL and CUH the worst impacted 

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) remains the worst-affected hospital, with 92 patients on trolleys

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is also facing issues, with 78 people left waiting for a bed on Wednesday morning. 

More than 600 people were left waiting on a trolley in hospitals across Ireland on Wednesday, with Limerick the worst affected.

According to Trolley Watch figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), 92 of the 603 patients waiting on trolleys are in University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

The INMO use the Trolley Watch system to count the number of patients waiting in emergency departments for a bed and how many more are in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

Cork University Hospital (CUH) is also facing issues, with 78 people left waiting for a bed on Wednesday morning.

University College Hospital Galway (50), Letterkenny University Hospital (40) and St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin (37) are all also badly affected.

The figures peaked earlier this year when there were 710 patients on trollies on February 7.

Last month, UL Hospitals Group again cancelled operations at UHL to save beds for emergencies.

Dr Mick Molloy, emergency medicine consultant on the Irish Medical Organisation’s consultant committee, said bed numbers speak for themselves. 

A 2008 report for the HSE recommended 642 beds for UHL but instead, the hospital website shows 531 up to mid-March.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and HSE chief Bernard Gloster will visit UHL on Thursday in what is being described as a 'crisis visit'.