Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

No, I do not agree. I would not stand over a system that would allow a person to linger in a bed just to avoid it being taken by another patient. There is a cost to the State in terms of pounds, shillings, and pence, but there is a far bigger potential cost in the context of a person's health if he or she is not treated in a timely manner. We must consider our duty of care. To be fair to clinicians, I expect that they discharge patients in a timely manner in the interests of people being in the most appropriate settings. I am on record as stating that acute hospitals are among the most dangerous places for older persons because of their vulnerability to infection. Most clinicians would accept that. One would certainly not leave a person in a bed in an effort to save the money it would cost for another patient to take the bed.

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