An independent report into the chronic shortage of beds for accident and emergency patients has criticised management and hospital consultants, nursing unions have said.
The report, by Capita Consultants, was commissioned last year by the Health Service Employers' Agency (HSEA) as part of the resolution to industrial action taken by nurses protesting at overcrowding in A&E departments.
Nursing unions, the Irish Nurses' Organisation and SIPTU met today with the HSEA and representatives of the Department of Health to discuss a draft version of the report.
The nurses' unions said they were pleased with the report which they say criticises management systems, hospital consultants and a lack of resources within the hospital system.
Nearly 3,000 beds were lost from the hospital system during Government cutbacks in the 1980s and despite the replacement of 600 of these last year the shortfall means many hospitals have a bed occupancy rate of over 100 per cent.
This means the system cannot handle any seasonal increase. Last week the majority of A&E units had to appeal to the public to stay away unless absolutely necessary due to severe overcrowding.
Nursing unions said the report identifies a number of consultants who are hindering the movement of patients by their control of discharging people from hospital.
The report also recommends more autonomy for hospital bed managers. The INO has sought the appointment of senior nurses to the role of bed managers.
When the final report is completed later this week it will be discussed by the nursing unions. A SIPTU spokesman said if the recommendations were implemented in full it could form the basis of an agreement.
It is expected that the final version of the report will be completed by the end of this week.
