Consultants warn of chaos in hospitals

HOSPITAL consultants warned yesterday that only a major injection of cash and staff would prevent further chaos in the country’s health services.

The profession’s representative association said winter overcrowding in accident and emergency departments had already begun and the failure of the Government to live up to even limited promises of increased bed numbers was pushing hospitals to breaking point.

The warning spells difficult times ahead for Minister for Health Micheál Martin who at the weekend urged the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) to support the major reorganisation of the health service detailed in the Hanly Report to be published in a few weeks.