A 17 per cent reduction in the number of people on hospital trolleys was significant, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore said. He added that the figure had been acknowledged by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), which counted the trolleys.

“Of course, there is more to be done and more improvements to be achieved. The Government and the Minister for Health will continue with that work and are open to hearing from the people at the front line, including nurses, about what needs to be done.’’

Fianna Fáil health spokesman Billy Kelleher said the INMO’s general secretary, Liam Doran, had raised the fact that hospital managements in some instances were deliberately misleading the trolley count. Trolleys with patients on them were hidden to ensure the count was reduced to comply with the Government’s intentions and public relations strategy.

Mr Kelleher said the INMO conference had heard that nurses were calling for a hotline to be established so they could complain about patient safety being compromised.

Mr Gilmore said he had heard the interview with Mr Doran on Wednesday, and his acknowledgement that the number on trolleys was significantly down from last year. “I also heard him acknowledge that the strategy the Government and the Minister for Health are pursuing, through the special delivery unit, is working.

“At a practical level it would be very difficult to hide trolleys in a hospital, and I do not think anybody would want to do that.’’

Mr Kelleher said that while the number of people on trolleys was down 17 per cent, it was up on a year-on-year basis since 2007. There was a major crisis in hospitals, particularly in emergency departments. “We are not talking about trolleys but about patients on trolleys, and about compromising patient safety.’’