900 hospital beds taken ‘for no medical reason’

ALMOST 900 people are taking up hospital beds even though there is no reason for them to be there, according to HSE figures.

A lack of nursing home, rehab and other community beds – and a lack of funding to move people into the community – means mainly elderly people are continuing to languish in hospital when there is no medical reason for them to be there.

According to Senator Brendan Ryan, indications are that funding to move people from hospital settings to nursing homes will not be made available until September under the Fair Deal nursing home scheme.