Covid having 'lasting impact' as Ireland's hospital bed numbers lower than statistics suggest

This week many hospitals are again cancelling elective operations to make way for emergency patients. File picture

Hospital bed numbers in Ireland are even lower in reality than statistics suggest as rising Covid-19 cases further reduce the numbers available, a senior ESRI officer said.

He recommended swifter action on building or expanding hospitals to address this crisis which, despite workforce increases of 20% in some areas, is continuing to worsen.