Use nursing home beds, group tells Govt

The Irish Federation of Nursing Homes has said that the current crisis in A&E departments in the eastern region could be eased if recovering patients were moved to empty nursing home beds.

The federation said Dublin nursing homes currently have around 200 vacant beds. Spokesman Michael Eustace said 90% of patients in acute hospital beds could be moved to these nursing homes, where they would receive convalescent or long-stay care.

"There's absolutely no reason whatsoever why these beds can't be taken up," he said.

A&E units across the eastern region remain under pressure today and, although the situation has eased, the Eastern Regional Health Authority is still appealing to people to stay away from A&E unless they are seriously ill or injured.

The latest overcrowding crisis has led to the usual scenes of patients waiting on trolleys for hours before they receive treatment.

Earlier this week, one Dublin hospital was even forced to treat some patients in the back of an ambulance due to the lack of space.

The Irish Nurses Organisation has threatened to go on strike if the long-running overcrowding problem is not addressed by the Government.