Nurses slam absence of information about health grants

The Irish Nursing Homes Organisation has hit out at the HSE for not giving people enough information about the new Government grants.

Increases in subvention payments were promised by the Health Minister in December, but so far no guidelines about the new rates have been published.

However, the figures have been given to health service staff.

"There is no clarity of purpose around about firstly, what people are entitled to and secondly, when they are likely to receive it," said INHO spokesman Tadhg Daly.

"So there is stress being caused to an unnecessary number of families across the country. There are almost 18,000 residents in private nursing homes, quite a large proportion of those would be on subvention. It's incumbent upon the Health Service executive to move swiftly to implement the increases and inform the public about their entitlements are."