Almost 9,400 patients were left waiting on trolleys in Irish hospitals last month, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

According to its ‘Trolley/Ward Watch' figures, 9,381 patients were left waiting on trolleys in March - a 5% increase when compared with March 2014 and a 100% increase when compared with March 2008, when 4,701 patients were on trolleys.

The hospital with the biggest jump in trolley figures was the Midland Regional Hospital in Tullamore. In March 2015, 204 patients were left waiting on trolleys. Last month, 568 were on trolleys.

Other hospitals that saw big increases included South Tipperary General Hospital (233 in March 2015 vs. 552 in March 2016) and University Hospital Limerick (558 in March 2015 vs. 710 in March 2016).

According to the INMO, these figures confirm that the health service ‘continues to face intolerable levels of overcrowding due to a lack of beds and staff right across the system'.

"Once again our Trolley/Ward Watch figures confirm the overcrowding crisis facing the health service continues to grow against the backdrop of the steep increase in demand, a shortage of beds and a severe shortage of nurses," commented INMO general secretary and joint chairperson of the Emergency Department (ED) Implementation Group, Liam Doran.

He said that in view of these figures, the INMO will seek an immediate meeting with the ED Implementation Group, in order to determine what additional measures can be taken to deal with this issue.

"Notwithstanding this period of political inertia, nothing must get in the way of whatever special measures are necessary to lessen the current environment facing patients and frontline staff," Mr Doran added.