Senior doctors at University Hospital Limerick have penned a letter to the people of the Mid-West, outlining the "serious challenges" the hospital is facing.

The clinical directors of UL Hospitals Group say a shortage of beds has led to "unacceptable" numbers of elderly and frail patients waiting on trolleys.

Today, the INMO said 58 patients were waiting for beds at the hospital - the most in the country.

On April 3rd, INMO figures showed UHL with the highest-ever daily figure of patients waiting on trolleys in any Irish hospital

The authors of the letter say additional funding is needed to increase bed capacity and staffing levels to tackle the problem.

They argue: "The community depends on politicians to absorb the facts and judge the merits of the discussions."

According to the doctors, funding will be required to achieve an agenda of 'clinical transformation' and a 'continuous relentless focus on quality'.

The five co-authors state: "There is a lot of competition in Ireland for resources. Their distribution is controlled centrally. So this ambitious agenda will need the support of the community and of its representatives and activists.

"We all want the same thing - a hospital that is deeply rooted in its community, that serves it well and that is known as a centre of excellence for clinical care, teaching and research.

"It will take a great collaborative effort to get there."