Shocking: 182 pensioners endured more than 24-wait Emergency Department

Shocking new figures show show 182 pensioners aged over 75 endured a wait time of more than 24 hours in Tullamore Hospital's Emergency Department.

Those figures were recorded in the first three months of 2019.

They form part of a total 4,349 people nationwide who endured a delay of a day or more in the emergency departments of the State's hospitals, according to newly released information to Wicklow TD Stephen Donnelly, after he tabled a parliamentary question on the issue.

In the other Midland hospitals the situation may not have been as acute but quite bad, in Portlaoise 54 patients over the age of 75 experienced more than a 24-hour wait in the Emergency Department, while in Mullingar 32 patients over the age of 75 experienced more than a 24-hour wait in Mullingar's ED.

It's a completely different situation in the closest acute hospital to Athlone, where just one person had a 24-hour wait in A&E in Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe between January 1 to March 31, the best performing acute hospital in Saolta University Health Care Group, which also includes Mayo University Hospital (16), Sligo University Hospital (6) and Letterkenny University Hospital (10).

Countrywide, the worst performers were in the cities with Galway University Hospital top of tree at 449, next was Waterford where 419 over waited more than a day, there were 418 in Mater Hospital over the same period and 405 in Cork University Hospital.