HSE acute hospitals' chief apologises over overcrowding

The head of the HSE’s acute hospitals division has apologised for the recent weeks of overcrowding.

“The scenes of over-crowding that we witnessed at the start of January were distressing for both patients and staff and for that we apologise,” HSE national director Liam Woods said.

He yesterday told a meeting of the Oireachtas joint committee on health that until there was a more community-based system of healthcare, the HSE would continue to be challenged in delivering the service they would wish for their patients.