Groups protest plan to cut hundreds of nursing home beds

HSE plans to close between 555 and 898 public nursing home beds next year will hit the frailest members of Irish society, it has been claimed.

Commenting after the publication of the HSE’s National Service Plan for 2012, Eamon Timmins of Age Action Ireland said the cuts would impact on the sickest people.

“The loss of so many public beds and the scale of the cuts in the home help service provided by the HSE will undoubtedly be felt by the sickest of older people. Without home help service frail older people will struggle, and those requiring round the clock nursing home care will end up being admitted to acute hospitals for their care if a nursing home bed is not available.”