INO: Idle beds outnumber patients waiting on trolleys

The Irish Nurses Organisation has criticised the Government's failure to reopen beds that have been lying in idle in Irish hospitals for years.

The organisation said today that there were twice as many beds out of use in Irish hospitals than there were people waiting on trolleys in accident and emergency units.

Last week, Health Minister Mary Harney announced a €500m plan to open 1,000 new public beds over the next 10 years.

However, the INO said beds were already in place and the Government should be focusing on bringing them back into use rather than the more expensive option of opening new beds.