Almost 7,800 patients were left waiting on trolleys in Irish hospitals nationwide during the month of June - a 51% increase on June 2014's figure, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

According to its latest Trolley Watch figures, 7,775 people were left waiting on trolleys last month - this is the highest June figure ever recorded by the INMO.

It is also the 12th month in a row that the level of overcrowding in Irish hospitals has increased when compared with the same period in the previous year.

The hospitals with the worst trolley figures last month included Dublin's Beaumont Hospital (757), Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda (728), University Hospital Galway (670) and University Hospital Limerick (653).

The figures also show that some hospitals have experienced a significant increase in their levels of overcrowding when compared with June 2014. For example, St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin recorded 484 patients on trolleys last month - a 332% increase on June 2014's figure, while University Hospital Waterford had 181 patients on trolleys last month - a 178% increase on June 2014's figure.

The INMO has again called for additional emergency funding for the health service, to provide a range of initiatives, such as additional bed capacity in acute hospitals, the reopening of all long stay beds that have been closed and additional staffing.

The figures were described as ‘truly shocking' by INMO general secretary, Liam Doran,

"This is the worst June, in terms of overcrowding, since the INMO began counting trolleys in 2004. In order to address this crisis ahead of the winter period, the Government must allocate emergency funding which must be ongoing. The current situation is deplorable and cannot continue," he commented.