The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organization (INMO) has called for special measures to be taken at University Hospital Limerick, including the cancellation of all non-urgent elective care, amid severe weather warnings across the Midwest.

Limerick will be under a orange snow and ice warning status Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

More than 352 patients have been on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick so far this week.

Colm Porter, INMO Deputy Director of Industrial Relations, said: “We know that when weather warnings are issued, the number of patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick increases.

“There is already an unacceptable and dangerous number of patients on trolleys in UHL, 116 today alone. The hospital is at 111 percent occupancy, more than 30 percent above the recommended safe occupancy of 82-85 percent.

“63 patients are on trolleys outside the emergency department in UHL, which is a bottleneck for moving patients out of the emergency department. Hospital management must now focus on reducing the number of patients admitted on trolleys.

“The aim must be to reduce the number of patients on trolleys throughout the hospital.

“INMO is calling for a series of extraordinary measures to be implemented immediately in the hospital, including the 24/7 presence of appropriate senior clinical staff, the immediate cessation of all non-urgent elective procedures and diversion to minor injuries units.

“The number of patients on trolleys in UHL has been dangerously high, while weather warnings are in place, emergency care must take priority at the Dooradoyle campus.”