HSE refuses offers of aid for ailing A&E

AN offer by Ben Dunne and several businessmen to buy portakabins and equipment for overcrowded A&Es has been turned down by the Health Service Executive (HSE) on health and safety grounds.

Director of the National Hospital Office Pat McLoughlin told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health yesterday it was not possible to place temporary buildings in hospital grounds without getting planning and fire approval. He said he had asked hospitals to examine their existing facilities to see what improvements could be made and that much could be done this way to improve existing A&E facilities.

But callers to RTÉ's Liveline criticised the refusal and said three hi-tech units could easily fit in the 600-car parking space area at the hospital

Designer David Marconi had offered a week's wages having spent four days on a trolley himself. Businessman Ronan Lambe donated at least €30,000 towards fitting out the mobile units with beds.

Entrepreneur Ben Dunne, who first offered the three cabins, yesterday stood by his donation. The cheque was signed and builders had already started constructing them, he said.

The HSE yesterday defended the progress of a €70 million package to reduce pressure on A&E units as nurses continued lunchtime protests at the ongoing crisis with nearly 300 patients waiting on hospital trolleys.

The HSE's National Hospitals' Office said the overall situation was improving and pressure on A&E units would be eased in weeks.

Mr McLoughlin said: "While it is unacceptable to have any patients waiting on trolleys, there is no doubt that the situation in A&E departments is improving.

"We are working on all sustainable solutions to ease pressures and these take time to put into effect." He said the situation at A&Es will improve in the coming weeks and months when additional post-acute care, such as step down beds and homecare packages, became available. Hundreds of A&E staff, general nursing staff, ambulance staff, politicians and members of the general public continued their series of protests outside Tallaght, Cavan General and Mayo General Hospitals yesterday.

Meanwhile, INO members at Cork University Hospital were last night balloting on HSE proposals aimed at avoiding a delay in opening its new €16 million A&E unit.