Harney rejects 400 closed beds claim

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney has disputed a claim made by a new patients' lobby group that the Government has closed 400 hospital beds.

Patients Together have called for the beds to be reopened as a first step towards alleviating the accident and emergency crisis.

Ms Harney insisted that since the Government came into office in 1997, the average number of beds available in publicly-funded hospitals had increased to over 900, a figure that includes in-patient and day beds.

Patients Together was formed following a protest last Sunday outside Dublin's Mater Hospital against overcrowding in the A & E department. It was organised by the family of Kathleen Byrne, aged 72, who was kept on a trolley for almost four days in the busy inner city hospital.

The family brought their protest to Leinster House last Tuesday where it received political and trade union support.

Ms Harney has agreed to meet the group, which had its first meeting in the Mansion House in Dublin yesterday.

One of its founders, Ellen Cogavin, a senior nurse at Blanchardstown Hospital, Co Dublin, insisted their figure of 400 beds was correct.

"I do not want this to turn into a row over figures and lose sight of the real issue - that people are suffering on trolleys because beds are not being reopened," she said.

Ms Cogavin feared the bank holiday weekend would see a worsening of the situation.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association agreed with Patients Together that the beds should be reopened as one of a number of measures aimed at addressing the A&E crisis.

IHCA president Josh Keaveney said the country was short 4,000 hospital beds and needed an additional 200 every year just to keep up with the population increase.

"The bed shortage is a scandal, an unnecessary disgrace," he said.

The Irish Medical Organisation warned conditions for patients and staff in A&E departments were worsening and winter had not yet started.

IMO president Dr James Reilly said: "Constructive initiatives to reform and develop the health services should be provided with ring-fenced funding or we will simply stumble from one crisis to the next."

Meanwhile, Labour's Joe Costello plans to lead a protest outside the Mater today and his party colleagues, TD Tommy Broughan and Senator Derek McDowell will continue the protest at Beaumont Hospital in the afternoon.

Mr Costello warned a serious 'flu outbreak could bring the whole system crashing down.

Patients Together has more than 100 members. Denis Rudd, who attended the meeting, said his father died in St James's Hospital six months ago. Mr Rudd said his father was kept in an area that was like 'Beirut' because it was still under construction.

"Every time a hammer hit a nail he flinched," he said.