HSE vows hospital beds will reopen

The HSE has given assurances that six beds closed in Dingle’s new €16.4 million community hospital will be filled once agreement is reached on a new work roster for nurses.

Following the closure last week, Michael Dineen of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation described as “misleading and mischievous” Health Minister James Reilly’s statement that the closures were due to rostering.

The hospital, opened on Friday by Dr Reilly, is losing a quarter of its staff to public sector retirements at the end of this month, according to the INMO.