The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, will be briefed on recent overcrowding at Nenagh Hospital when he visits the town today to set out the implications of the Hanly Report for North Tipperary's health services.
The report has recommended that Nenagh be downgraded from a general to local hospital in a move that is set to involve acute health care services being transferred to Limerick Regional Hospital.
The Minister will meet the local hospital action committee which claimed there was overcrowding in Nenagh on Tuesday with 101 patients being treated in the 66-bed hospital.
According to committee secretary, Ms Sandra Farrell, 10 patients were in beds on corridors and medical patients had to be accommodated in the surgical section of the building. Ms Farrell, a nurse, said the mixing of surgical and medical patients posed a major risk of cross infection. She also claimed that fire exits in the hospital were blocked by beds and chairs, but this has been denied by the Mid-Western Health Board.
The board in a statement said that a surge in demand for beds was experienced over the holiday weekend with some 30 patients being admitted.