Levels of activity at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin this year will have to revert to 2001 levels, it has emerged.
This will represent a cut of 20 per cent on planned activity and is because the hospital is facing a €23 million budget shortfall, according to its chief executive, Mr Nicholas Jermyn.
He has outlined the stark situation to hospital board members, and his report to them has been obtained by The Irish Times under the Freedom of Information Act.
Dated January 27th, it states that the hospital and St Michael's in Dún Laoghaire, which were integrated two years ago, would require a budget of €166 million from the Eastern Regional Health Authority this year to provide the same level of service in 2003 as in 2002.
"The financial director of the ERHA has indicated that St Vincent's University Hospital and St Michael's Hospital target activity for 2003 should be at the 2001 funded levels of activity," Mr Jermyn said.
Negotiations between the hospitals, which began the year with a €7.3 million deficit, and the ERHA are continuing.
The Mater Hospital has already closed beds, and Beaumont Hospital has considering limiting cancer treatment and kidney dialysis services in order to cut costs.
St James's Hospital is also likely to face a shortfall of about €20 million this year, while University College Hospital in Galway plans to carry out 7,500 fewer treatments in 2003.
To appear on bankruptcy offence
A former director of Ireland's biggest cosmetic surgery group is to appear before Dublin District Court today to face a charge of having acted as a company director while an undischarged bankrupt.
Mr Jeffrey Burton resigned his directorship of the Advanced Cosmetic Institute earlier this month after he was charged in late February.
After he was granted bail in February, a bench warrant was issued for Mr Burton's arrest after he allegedly made a threatening telephone call to a creditor.