The number of people waiting on trolleys in St Luke’s Hospital last month was 357.
Figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show that figure has jumped massively from just 48 in the same month in 2011.
Speaking to KCLR News, Kilkenny man and General Secretary of the INMO, Liam Doran says they’ve been steadily increasing year on year.
The biggest increase locally was between March 2012 and March 2013 when it went from 49 to 214.
This year’s figure is up by nearly 100 on last year – from 284 to 357.
In a statement to KCLR News this morning the hospital said:
“St. Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny has experienced an exceptionally busy winter flu season affecting in particular a larger frail and elderly population, not unlike most hospitals around the country. We also experienced an outbreak of Norovirus in the community in March which added to an already busy ED. This has resulted in an overall increase in attendances St. Luke’s Hospitals ED in March.”
