Hospital overcrowding: Private hospitals to help alleviate trolley crisis

Private hospitals in Cork, Kilkenny, and Mullingar have been asked to support public hospitals as part of the latest Health Department and HSE efforts to tackle overcrowding at Ireland’s emergency departments.

And in another unprecedented response to the crisis, private X-ray and ultrasound providers in Wexford, Portlaoise, Waterford, Limerick, and Letterkenny are to be asked to offer services to GPs so they can divert patients from public services.

Another 63 acute beds are also to be opened nationwide: 28 beds at University Hospital Galway, 15 at the Mater, eight at Kilkenny, and 12 at Tullamore. A discharge lounge will be opened in Waterford.