More hospitals to have Emergency Departments downgraded

Health Minister Dr James Reilly said today that more hospitals will have their Emergency Departments downgraded this year.

Minister Reilly would be drawn on which hospitals or how many would be downgraded, but he confirmed that a consultation process is ongoing.

"I'm not going to say which ones at this point in time, because that would be to pre-judge the situation in relation to the individual hospitals when there's a consultation process going on," he said.

He said that a number of facilities will be downgraded to urgent care centres in 2012, but added that he hopes the figure will be less than 10.

"I hope it won't be that many, I don't think it will be that many this year to be quite honest with you because I don't think the system can bear it," he said.

Minister Reilly said that as it stands, many hospitals are under too much pressure to have their Emergency Departments downgraded.

"This is about providing safe care," he said.

"If you take a hospital like Navan for instance, the situation with the pressure that Cavan, Blanchardstown, Mater, Beaumont and Drogheda are under, just doesn't allow for Navan to change its status."