Union says 1,947 hospital beds closed; HSE 'cannot provide' figures

The HSE has said it is not in a position to publish accurate figures on bed closures ahead of the findings of a nationwide audit of hospitals.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has claimed that cutbacks have led to the closure of nearly 2,000 beds at hospitals and nursing homes.

The INMO said 86 beds had been closed at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore, while 62 had been shut in both Cork University and Beaumont Hospitals.

In its figures, the union lists more than 70 acute hospitals, smaller hospitals and nursing homes where a total of 1,947 beds have been cut.

When contacted, the HSE said it was not in a position to provide any figure on closed beds.

They said a nationwide audit was underway to ensure all hospitals were using the same criteria and they could not say how many beds were affected before its completion. The HSE has not indicated exactly when the audit would be completed. A spokesperson said it would not be completed until later this year.

The HSE stopped publishing bed closure figures on its website last December.