More than 800 hospital beds unavailable in first nine days of 2023

Figures obtained from the HSE by the Irish Examiner show that of those 152 closed on New Year’s Day, 124 were due to Infection Prevention Control.

Hospitals were forced to keep 152 acute beds closed on New Year’s Day, the highest of any day so far this year.

In total, 858 bed days have been lost to the system at a time of record trolley numbers with staff shortages also being an issue.