More than 10,000 patients were left waiting on trolleys in hospitals nationwide during February, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

According to its latest Trolley Watch figures, 10,040 patients were left waiting on trolleys last month, including over 400 children under the age of 16.

The worst affected hospitals were University Hospital Limerick (1,561), Cork University Hospital (1,041) and University Hospital Galway (775).

The worst affected hospital in Dublin was the Mater (570), while the worst affected children’s hospital was CHI at Crumlin (197).

According to INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, February was “an incredibly challenging month” for nurses and midwives.

“We have seen serious spikes of overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick and across all Dublin hospitals throughout the month of February. It is clear that medium and long-term plans are needed to resolve the overcrowding issues in these hospitals.

“Nurses are working in extremely unsafe conditions. Their workplaces are not just overcrowded, they are also short staffed. When wards are not staffed correctly, it has a very profound impact on the level of care our members are able to provide to patients,” she commented.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha called on the HSE and Minister for Health to give an update on whether the measures they introduced in January to relieve pressure on the health system have worked.

She also queried what measures are going to be introduced “to prevent further spikes” in March and April.