Children’s hospital cuts deepens health crisis

THE crisis in the health service deepened last night with the country’s main children’s hospital announcing a series of severe cuts.

Our Lady’s Hospital For Sick Children, in Crumlin, has already closed 25 of its 243 beds and the closure of a second ward is under discussion. Management is also reviewing all temporary staff contracts and planned new posts at the hospital with a view to cutting staff numbers.

The cutbacks come just one day after the Mater Hospital announced it is to reduce staff numbers by 163.