Hospitals experience rise in demand for services

There has been a reported significant rise in the demand for services in the Easter Regional Health Authority.

The figures for the first five months of the year confirm an additional 17,000 patients were treated in acute wards in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow as compared with the same period in 2001.

Paediatric and Maternity hospitals are also experiencing an increase in demand and treated 900 more people than usual so far this year.

The numbers of patients turning out for drug addiction treatment has also increased this year, seeing the demand for methadone treatment up by 9%.