Published: Wednesday, 9th September, 2009 8:00pm

Bed closures still in place in hospitals

Over 60 beds which the HSE closed because of 'reduced summer demand' at hospitals in Ballinasloe, Mullingar and Tullamore are still out of use.

In July, the HSE announced it had closed 16 beds at the Midland Regional Hospital in Mullingar and amalgamated some services at the hospital in Tullamore, resulting in a net reduction of 15 beds.

The statement indicated that the decision to implement the cost-saving measures at these hospitals during the summer months was taken because "on a year on year basis, demand for services reduces over the summer period."

However, when asked if these beds have since been put back into use, a HSE spokesperson told the Westmeath Independent last week that there has been no change to the position since July.

It's not known when or if the beds will be reopened, with the spokesperson simply commenting that: "The HSE Dublin Mid-Leinster will continue to monitor performance against budget and service plan on a month by month basis and make decisions accordingly based on these assessments."

In Ballinasloe's Portiuncula Hospital, 25 beds were closed at St John's Ward in July, while the remaining ten beds in this ward were closed more recently.

On Friday last, a spokesperson for the HSE West stated: "We hope to be in a position to re-open these beds at St John's Ward in the coming weeks."

On Monday, figures posted online by the Irish Nurses Organisation revealed that seven patients were being kept on trolleys at Portiuncula Hospital.

In a press statement he issued in July, local councillor Paul Hogan said he "(did) not trust the HSE when they say that these beds will close temporarily over the summer months. People in this constituency are fearful that this is just the thin end of the wedge and that these beds will never come on stream again."

This week, Cllr Hogan said the fact that the beds had not been reopened was "another example of the Fianna Fail and Green Party government attacking the most vulnerable in society."

"This is the HSE again reneging on its commitments and promises," commented the Sinn Fein representative. "It's simply not good enough when there are people waiting for operations and waiting to receive treatment. All of these beds should be reopened and I would appeal to the Minister for Health to intervene in the situation and get them reopened."