The number of patients on trolleys and wards has dropped again, with 363 patients now waiting for treatment around the country. That figure is down from a high last week of 601.
The hospital with the most amount of people on trolleys is once again Dublin's Beaumont Hospital with 34 people waiting to be admitted to a bed. Drogheda still fares badly with 30 people on trolleys today.
Earlier today, Leo Varadkar called into question how the figures were counted:
1/3 @unspeakable28 just stating facts. Since 2013 INMO includes patients on wards as well as ED. But SDU counts all trollies 3 times day.
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) January 12, 2015
2/3 @unspeakable28 INMO does one count at 8am and counts someone on trolley for one hour the same as someone on trolley for two days.
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) January 12, 2015
3/3 @unspeakable28 either system is fine but compare like with like. But most of all no one should be on ED trolley for more than 9 hours.
— Leo Varadkar (@campaignforleo) January 12, 2015
Nevertheless, Emergency department nurses at Galway University Hospital have voted in favour of industrial action over "unsafe" levels of overcrowding.
All 42 of the INMO’s members at the department are in favour of a work-to-rule - which will begin on February 3rd.
It follows a similar ballot at Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital last week - with more facilities expected to hold votes in the coming days.
Here are today's trolley figures:
