The number of patients on trolleys at Mayo University Hospital is at 5 today- down from over 20 on trolleys on several days last week.

However, trolley numbers are high elsewhere in the region, with 20 patients on trolleys today at Galway University Hospital, 18 in Sligo and 15 at Portiuncla in Ballinasloe.

Across the country, there are 555 patients on trolleys, according to the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation.

The overcrowding crisis is being discussed at a meeting this afternoon of the Emergency Department Taskforce, at a time when services are being stretched by an outbreak of the flu.

Meanwhile, a Mayo TD is calling on the Health Minister Simon Harris to outline a funding plan to increase bed capacity in hospitals.

Fianna Fail TD Dara Calleary says experts have been calling for additional bed capacity for our hospitals to tackle the overcrowding crisis, but Minister Harris has not provided the funding needed to deliver additional beds….