Local hospital overcrowding continues

Almost 70 admitted patients were on trolleys in local hospitals this morning.

There were 44 waiting at Sligo University Hospital, with 19 and 4 in the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar and Portiuncula respectively.

University Hospital Limerick accounted for the largest number of those, with 67 followed by Cork University Hospital with 49 and Letterkenny University Hospital with 39.

Of the total number of people waiting for beds, 318 were in emergency departments while 157 were in wards elsewhere, according to the INMO.