Coalition ‘afraid of voter backlash’

THE Government was last night accused of dodging the downgrading of local hospitals across the country because they are afraid of losing votes in next year’s local and European elections.

A radical overhaul of the country's hospitals that would see more than 20 local hospitals losing their emergency services is being recommended by the Hanly Report published yesterday.

Hanly also recommends that all specialist services should be concentrated in major hospitals that serve big population catchments of between 350,000 and 500,000 people.