Staff and funding reductions lead to 1,900 bed closures

ALMOST 1,900 hospital beds have closed over the past 18 months due to staff cuts and an ongoing lack of investment in services.

Figures compiled by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) reveal the extent of the looming hospital crisis with inpatients, long stay and surgical beds continually closing.

The knock-on effect of this is more people on trolleys and longer waiting times in emergency departments (ED).