132 beds to close as HSE West budget is cut

The HSE West is set to see its budget cut by €104m, have nurses account for 70% of all regional retirees this month and witness as many as 132 long-term care beds axed, in a bid to cut costs.

The region’s 2012 local service plan, published yesterday evening , revealed the litany of measures to be implemented this year as a direct result of the country’s financial crisis.

According to the 77-page document, the budget for the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, Limerick, will be cut from €138m to €123m.