Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

If there is an inadequate number of beds in our acute hospital system, we will continue to see the type of problem we are witnessing at present. According to the Irish Medical Organisation in its 2015 budget submission, acute hospital budgets have reduced by 29% since 2007. There has also been a loss of 15% in staffing levels and 900 beds have been taken out of the public system over these years. All of this is occurring at a time when we have an ageing population which, understandably, brings new needs in terms of health care services. At this time the fair deal system has been capped and the inevitable consequence is the additional pressure of acute hospital beds being occupied by people who should be in step-down facilities. Not only is there overcrowding in emergency departments, but also because of this there is an increased risk of infection which adds to health care costs.

Yesterday, staff at Naas General Hospital decided to work to rule and the nurses at that hospital have repeatedly told me they feel the environment is unsafe. Overcrowding means they have the added concern that their nursing registration is being compromised. The hospital in Naas is not an exception, but it does accommodate a higher proportion of patients who should fall into the fair deal scheme, largely because there are a large number of nursing homes in the catchment area.

On paper the strategy of postponing elective surgery might seem like a good solution, but it is poor medical practice and will add to the levels of illness in the population and the stress for those waiting for an operation and waiting to go into recovery, which is just as important. It is plain cruel. We need to stop having to resolve a crisis and start planning to ensure we do not have a crisis. More beds will simply have to come into the system and the fair deal scheme will have to be delivered in an entirely different way.

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