Seventy-three children were left waiting on trolleys in the country's three paediatric hospitals in the first two weeks of this year, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

It has just launched a ‘Paediatric Trolley Watch' as part of its ongoing ‘Trolley and Ward Watch' service, which provides daily counts of the number of patients left waiting on trolleys nationwide.

The Trolley Watch counts the number of patients for whom a decision to admit to hospital has been made, but who are still waiting for a bed at 8am on any given day. The Ward Watch records those patients moved to wards on their trolleys, but still waiting for a bed.

From this week, the INMO will publish trolley figures for the country's three paediatric hospitals - Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin, Temple Street Children's Hospital and the National Children's Hospital in Tallaght.

If children are left waiting on trolleys in any regional hospitals, they will also be counted.

The INMO described the presence of trolleys in paediatric hospitals as a ‘new phenomenon'.

"The negative outcome for patients arising from long trolley waits is proven and accepted. Exposing children to extended periods in an Emergency Department (ED) is unsatisfactory on many levels, not least of which is the possible exposure to traumatic events. All systems, processes and procedures must aim to avoid unnecessary waiting times in EDs as a matter of urgency," commented INMO general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha.

Also commenting on this, children's nurse and INMO member, Catherine Sheridan, pointed out that attending hospital can be a frightening and anxious time for children and their families.

"This can and must be kept to an absolute minimum. It is simply not acceptable to us that environments that are totally unsuitable are added to this anxiety and fear," she said.

The INMO added that it hoped it would never have to highlight such an issue ‘and the sooner such practices cease, the better'.