A record 2,408 patients have been left waiting on trolleys during the first week of 2018 - a 10% increase when compared to the same period in 2017, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

According to its latest ‘Trolley and Ward Watch' figures, 2,408 is ‘a record figure for any calendar year since the Trolley Watch began'.

The worst hit hospitals this week include University Hospital Limerick (203 patients on trolleys between January 2-5), St Luke's Hospital Kilkenny (191), Cork University Hospital (136) and Mullingar Regional Hospital (133).

The worst affected hospital in Dublin was St Vincent's University Hospital (109).

This week has also seen cases of children left waiting on trolleys, with some having been left waiting for nine hours or more.

The INMO recently released its annual figures for 2017, which revealed that almost 99,000 patients were left waiting on trolleys last year, with the highest figure recorded in University Hospital Limerick (8,869).

Meanwhile the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which represents doctors nationwide, has expressed exasperation with comments made by An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, about the current crisis.

The Taoiseach apologised to patients experiencing long delays in hospitals and expressed ‘regret and frustration' that there has not been an improvement despite increased investment.

However, according to IMO president, Dr Ann Hogan, these comments reflect ‘a shocking ignorance of the health service and the impact of years of austerity'.

"At every budget for the past five years, we have warned that the supposed increases in the health budgets were mirages and they would not even keep pace with the underlying cost increases in the services.

"Any increases in the health budget hardly maintain existing level of services let alone deal with the projected demand based on known demographics and the increase in the elderly population, who have complex healthcare requirements," she commented.

Dr Hogan called on the Government to commit to funding and investing in the health service, ‘so that we can finally move away from the current pattern of crisis to chaos and back again'.

"Austerity is the root cause of this crisis and investment - significant and urgent - is the only response," she added.