Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

We must have a greater focus on discharge. We also need to make sure we are cancelling elective procedures. Right now, unfortunately, we cannot provide elective work and emergency work at the same time in overcrowded hospitals. It is not the ideal but we must look to the private sector to provide assistance in regard to elective work when it cannot be catered for in the public hospital system.

What happens is patients are phoned on a daily basis to say they are due to come in that day but there simply is not a bed. Rather than that happening-----