Martin rejects Fine Gael's bed-closure figures

The Minister for Health tonight rejected "erroneous claims on bed closures" made last night by Fine Gael's health spokesman Mr Gay Mitchell.

Mr Martin said it appeared Mr Mitchell had added quarterly figures which had produced the distorted total of 1,810 bed closures.

According to Mr Martin the true figure for beds closed in 2000 was 875. This was the highest number of beds closed in any one quarter with a low of 351.

"It is neither possible nor accurate to add the closures in each quarter to provide a total for the year as closures vary from quarter to quarter," the Minister said.

Today there are 125 beds closed, 54 due to nursing shortages and the remainder closed for refurbishment, aDepartment of Health representative said.

The Minister said over 1,300 nurses had been recruited in the last six months but conceded the Government was still a long way from eradicating waiting lists.

Mr Mitchell suggested today 1,810 beds were closed in hospitals around the State last year. He continued that 995 hospital bed closures are planned for the first six months of this year - mainly due to nursing shortages.

Mr Gay Mitchell

The Department rejected this figure saying many of the beds planned for closure had not closed and some not scheduled for closure had been closed.

Mr Mitchell said the closures were "crippling the health service" and "impacting hard" on nursing and medical staff, particularly those in accident and emergency departments.

Last year Cork University Hospital closed 190 beds, Beaumont hospital in Dublinclosed 163 beds and the Mater hospital closed 101 beds, according to Mr Mitchell.

Mr Mitchell said waiting lists had risen 12 per cent in the lifetime of the present Government. According to Mr Mitchell waiting lists in Beaumont and the Mater rose by 30 per cent over the same period.