Report recommends major A&E changes

A new report is recommending bed managers be appointed in all major hospitals to avoid more shortages in A&E departments.

The report by international consultants Capita, carried out for health employers, is highly critical of the current system.

It identifies causes of bed shortages in A&E departments, including infrequent ward rounds and incorrect discharge documents.

It also says consultants keep patients in bed over the weekend to facilitate the admission of their own private patients on Monday.

David Hughes of the Irish Nurses Organisation says the report must be acted on. "It is a very hard hitting report and we believe it is very hard hitting. It supports many of the actions that we called for in our action plan of February 2002 when we had our industrial action because of the limitation of staff for patients in accident and emergency apartments."