An inquiry into the death of a man who bled to death at Monaghan General Hospital last October is now complete and the findings were due to be "formally" presented to the Health Service Executive (HSE) last night.
The investigation into the death of Pat Joe Walsh (75), from Killanny, Carrickmacross, was meant to take only eight weeks, but took more than six months.
The semi-retired farmer required emergency surgery on a bleeding ulcer but could not be operated on in Monaghan hospital as surgeons there are not permitted to do emergency surgery.
Staff attempted to transfer him to three other hospitals - Cavan General Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin - but were told none of these had an intensive care bed available, which he would require after his operation.
It transpired after his death that all three hospitals had vacant intensive care beds and an independent inquiry into Mr Walsh's death was ordered. It was carried out by Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital, assisted by Prof John Monson, professor of surgery at the University of Hull.
Announcing details of the inquiry in the Dáil last October, the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, said Mr Walsh had died tragically. "This should not have happened," she said.
The HSE said it was expecting "to formally receive" the report last evening.
"The HSE will in the first instance respond to the wishes and needs of Mr Walsh's family before considering making the report public," it said.
It is understood the report will have to be examined by the HSE's lawyers before it is released.
Meanwhile, the intensive care unit at Cavan General Hospital remained closed to new admissions yesterday due to an outbreak of the antibiotic-resistant superbug VRE, or vancomycin-resistant enterococcus.
Doctors have been informed that if any patient in the region becomes acutely ill and needs an intensive care bed, they should first see if one is available outside the region as the unit at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, is full.