Number of patients waiting for hospital bed increases to over 400

The number of patients awaiting admission to a hospital bed has increased again and now stands at over 400.

The number of patients waiting for hospital admission peaked at just over 600 earlier this week before falling back to 371 on Thursday.

According to figures released by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation(INMO) there were 401 patients waiting for a hospital bed on Friday.

The Minister for Health Leo Varadkar forecast that the problem could get worse next week.

According to the INMO the worst overcrowding today was at Beaumont Hospital it Dublin where there were 31 patients on trolleys in the emrgency department and 6 in wards awaiting admission.

Members of the INMO are to stage a protest at the gates of Beaumont Hospital today.

Nurses in the emergency department at Beaumont are scheduled to commence industrial action in the form of a work to rule on Wednesday, January 27th .

The INMO said the action was being taken by members “in an attempt to end the severe and unsafe overcrowding within the emergency department”.