This year is the worst on record for hospital overcrowding after more than 121,526 admitted patients were left waiting for a bed, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
According to INMO figures, 517 admitted patients were waiting for a bed in hospitals around the country this morning.
The five most overcrowded hospitals in 2023 were University Hospital Limerick with 21,141 patients, Cork University Hospital with 12,487 patients, University Hospital Galway with 8,914 patients, Sligo University Hospital with 8,094 patients and St Vincent's University Hospital with 6,555 patients.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha, said that, with six days to Christmas, there has been no let-up in pressure on nurses and midwives who are working in overcrowded and understaffed hospitals.
"For the second year in a row we have broken overcrowding records," Ms Ní Sheaghdha said.
"Over 3,450 children have been on trolleys so far this year, an increase of 24% on the previous year.
"Instead of coming forward with plans to drastically improve the lot of our members and patients who find themselves in emergency departments, the HSE have instead decided to implement a recruitment freeze which will further demoralise a burned out, exhausted workforce.
"Long delays, inadequate bed space and unsafe staffing levels are making it impossible for our members to provide safe care."
In a statement the HSE has acknowledged that wait times are "far too high" for trolleys in emergency departments and wards, but said that those times are down when compared to the same period last year.
This is despite a "steep increase in attendances" since then, it said.
Read more: Why do the HSE and INMO trolley figures differ?
