New rules may close A&E units

THE CLOSURE of half the country’s accident and emergency units can only be averted if the number of consultants is doubled urgently, doctors warned last night.

A&E units in more than 20 smaller hospitals without a full-time emergency consultant face the threat of closure because they fail to meet new training rules.

This means units in hospitals which include Bantry, Mallow, Ennis, Clonmel, Nenagh, Kilkenny and Dundalk face either closure or a severe restriction in services.