Nurses' claims on empty beds 'misleading'

NURSES have been accused of misleading people by saying there are more empty hospital beds than patients on trolleys.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) said many of the closed beds referred to by the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) were in hospitals that had no A&E departments.

"Claims made by the INO are completely misleading," the HSE said. "Having reviewed the list, for example, in the eastern region, these are not acute hospital beds."

The HSE is implementing a 10-point plan aimed at improving A&E departments and said it was continuing to make progress on this.

INO director of industrial relations Phil Ní Sheaghdha said their survey showed that there were more than 480 empty beds that could be opened with a very small investment in refurbishment and staffing.

The INO said its trolley count throughout the summer had shown more than 200 patients were being admitted to hospital every day who did not have a bed.

She said their figures also showed that the number of patients on trolleys had increased by around 40, compared to the same time last year.

"To have in excess of 220 patients on trolleys every day in the middle of the summer which, traditionally, would be the quieter period indicates to us that the winter months will be even worse," warned Ms Ní Sheaghdha.

She said the organisation met with one of the regional health authorities covering South County Dublin, Kildare and West Wicklow in December last year.

"They told us that €17 million had been sanctioned to them for capital investment to refurbish the old Meath Hospital and Bru Chaoimhin in Cork Street. That would increase the accommodation for the elderly population to over 100 beds. That funding was ceased and vetoed on January 1 when the HSE took over," she said.

While she understood that there was a statutory requirement on a new State agency to look at all new funding granted taking charge, this was just playing around with money and delaying projects that could very easily increase capacity for elderly people.

Patients Together, a campaign group set up to end overcrowding in hospitals' A&E units, urged Health Minister Mary Harney to open the empty beds.

"The minister has spoken of not having a magic wand, well she has just been handed one," said spokesperson Jeanette Byrne.