Over 10,200 patients were left waiting on trolleys in hospitals nationwide last month, making it the worst April on record for hospital overcrowding, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has said.

According to its latest Trolley Watch figures, 10,229 admitted patients were left waiting without hospital beds last month. This represents an 8% increase on the April 2018 figure and a 125% increase on the April 2006 figure, when trolley figures began being monitored by the INMO.

The worst affected hospitals were University Hospital Limerick (1,206 patients on trolleys), Cork University Hospital (826) and University Hospital Galway (683).

The worst affected hospital in Dublin was Tallaght University Hospital (566).

The figures also included 106 children who were left waiting on trolleys. The worst affected children's hospital was Temple Street Children's University Hospital (51).

Commenting on the figures, INMO general secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, pointed out that this is the second month in 2019 when the number of patients waiting on trolleys has exceeded 10,000.

"The crisis is without question worsening. Overcrowding hits two main groups directly - those who depend on public health services and those who work in them.

"We started the trolley count over a decade ago because of unacceptable overcrowding. The problem has more than doubled since then," she said.