Consultants to blame for bed shortages, say nurses

NURSES representatives have pointed the finger of blame at consultants for the latest A&E crisis to grip the country's major hospitals.

The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) said a lack of non-acute beds and failure by consultants to carry out extra rounds and speed up discharges were the only possible explanations.

The claim was rejected out-of-hand by the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA).