The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) has revealed that over 8,055 patients went without a hospital bed in Ireland this August.

The organisation is now calling on the HSE to outline detailed plans to radically reduce overcrowding before the winter season.

INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha expressed concern over the high number of patients on trolleys and the long waiting times, especially for older people.

She described the situation as a "serious breach of human dignity" that impacts a patient's potential for recovery.

Ní Sheaghdha noted that the issue was particularly acute in hospitals in the west and midwest throughout August.

"Our public health system cannot cope with a deluge of respiratory illnesses over the coming months," she said, warning of a potentially "bleak winter" in Irish hospitals unless action is taken.

The INMO is demanding a hospital-by-hospital plan to tackle both the number of patients being treated in inappropriate spaces and the length of time they spend on trolleys.

Ní Sheaghdha stressed that nurses and healthcare staff will not continue to work in such unsafe environments.

She concluded that to retain staff, the government and HSE must remove bureaucratic delays to recruitment and take meaningful action to ensure safe care conditions for both patients and staff.