The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has sought an urgent meeting with the new CEO of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, due to concerns about overcrowding in hospitals nationwide.

Some 651 patients were on trolleys on March 15, including 57 in Cork University Hospital, 56 in University Hospital Limerick and 47 in Tallaght University Hospital.

According to INMO general secretary, Phil Ní Sheaghdha, “it is clear that hospital overcrowding is out of control again”.

“The level of overcrowding in some of our emergency departments warrants a national response. The INMO has been in contact with the new CEO of the HSE seeking an urgent meeting in the next 24 hours ahead of what will be an extremely busy bank holiday weekend for our members,” she explained.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha said that it is “clear that the system is now completely overwhelmed”.

The INMO is calling for targeted measures to tackle this issue, “particularly in the midwest where overcrowding is completely out of hand”.