Ireland’s emergency department overcrowding crisis could be significantly reduced if James Reilly, the health minister, ensured rules to make wards take extra patients in times of excessive trolley numbers were enforced.

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has announced a series of changes to the Board of the HSE.

Ambitious plans to ensure patients will spend no longer than nine hours on a hospital trolleys this year have been revealed by Health Minister James Reilly.

Hospital overcrowding reached a record high for August with more than 6,600 patients left waiting on trolleys in emergency departments, it emerged today.

HOSPITALS who fail to clear their lists of patients waiting over a year for procedures will have funding pulled, Health Minister James Reilly announced.

LONG waiting times of up to five years for referral to hospital out-patient services are unacceptable and unsafe, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has said.

CONFUSION surrounded the future role of the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) after the Health Minister said he had asked it to “cease making further commitments” while at the same time reassuring patients that they can continue to apply for procedures under the scheme.

The Government has appointed a new expert to reduce hospital waiting lists.

THE number of people killed on Irish roads is almost 50 more than this time last year after a weekend which claimed six more lives.

The Gardaí have released the names of three of the five people who died in accidents on roads around the country last night.

AUSTRALIA may have finalised its 26-man squad for the upcoming International Rules Series, but Ireland’s squad remains very much a work-in-progress.

Joanna Lumley and Jennifer Saunders were named honorary New Yorkers as officials declared it Absolutely Fabulous week.