HSE criticised for 'bizarre' efforts to 'bury' report into Irish hospitals

The Irish Association for Emergency Medicine said the situation is worse now for emergency departments than when the report was written in 2019. Above: Patients on trolleys at the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick last month. 

The HSE has been accused of using a “bizarre excuse” for why it failed to publish an independent report on emergency care at nine hospitals, which found “unsafe” and “unacceptable” treatment caused by overcrowding and staff shortages on wards and in emergency departments (EDs).

In a statement, the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) said the decision to “bury” the 2019 report was a “significant cause of concern”.