Doctors chief: Health service needs 15,000 extra beds

The health service needs 15,000 extra acute beds, the Irish Medical Organisation claimed today.

The new president of the IMO, Dr Asam Ishtiaq, told the first day of the organisation’s annual conference that the main reason for A&E overcrowding was a lack of beds.

The Department of Health says there are more than 12,000 hospital beds available for care, but Dr Ishtiaq said that those included beds in wards which were closed or not yet opened.

Other motions being debated at the three-day conference include a demand that the Department of Health tackles the reduction of adolescent and child inpatient mental health beds.

The conference will also debate a motion to ensure that local mental health services are sufficiently resourced, avoiding a cut in services to voluntary patients.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, will be addressing the IMO conference at Killarney tomorrow.