Trolley figures show August was another very busy month at St Luke’s Hospital for Carlow/Kilkenny

Last month was the worst ever August for hospital overcrowding, and St Luke’s Hospital for Carlow/Kilkenny was among the busiest.

That’s according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation which has released their figures for the month.

With 365 patients recorded on trolleys in St Luke’s Hospital, this year saw one of the busiest Augusts on record there.

However, the figure was still a substantial drop on last year’s when a total of 432 people had no bed.

That was the most overcrowded the local hospital has been in August since records began there in 2010.

Last month just five hospitals had more patients on trolleys than St Luke’s – they are Cork University Hospital, Letterkenny, Galway, Limerick and Waterford.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says the bottom line is more staff are needed around the country – and better pay is what it’s going to take to get them.