Hospitals actively discharging patients to free up beds for Pope's visit

Hospitals are actively discharging patients to free up beds ahead of the Pope's visit.

It is feared there could be a spike in casualties given the huge crowds coming to see the Pontiff next week.

As part of the Pope's two-day visit, the Irish Independent reports that a major emergency plan has been put in place involving around 1500 Gardaí and more than 1000 medical staff.

500,000 people are expected to attend mass in the Phoenix Park along with a further 70,000 in Croke Park for a special concert - including many elderly people.

As a result, the main Dublin hospitals are actively discharging patients to make sure they can deal with extra admissions if needed.

However, the HSE insists this will be carried out on a planned basis and patients will only be discharged if it is medically appropriate.

Digital Desk