Over 300 nurses and midwives will gather for their annual conference in Killarney today to discuss the ongoing difficulties in the health service.

The number of people on trolleys in our hospitals is still increasing according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Almost 36,000 people have had to wait for a bed so far this year, the highest number ever recorded by the INMO.

Low pay and overcrowding takes centre stage as well as the aftermath of the political discussions.

General Secretary of the INMO Liam Doran has said the health crisis should have been the focus of their talks: “The whole of the health service still doesn’t get that we are in a full blown crisis.

“The Government still doesn’t get the fact.

“Government of all political parties at this stage, I mean we were very disappointed that health and the crisis in health wasn’t centre-stage in the discussion so far.”