INO conference: The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has been accused of massaging the figures on bed closures in the eastern region after he insisted yesterday that only 81 hospital beds had closed so far this year in the area.
A senior nurse at Dublin's Mater Hospital, Ms Anne Cody, said 80 beds had already closed at her hospital this year. "I'm pretty sure between all the other major Dublin hospitals that more than one other bed has been closed," she said.
"I think it's just juggling with figures. I would certainly question the figure of 81 bed closures he mentioned," she added.
The Irish Nurses' Organisation said 20 beds had also already been closed at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, Dublin; 16 had closed at Beaumont Hospital, with a further 70 due to close there on June 1st; and 25 had closed at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Addressing the INO's annual conference in Galway, Mr Martin said he acknowledged delegates' concerns about an announcement on Tuesday that 250 beds were to close at the five major teaching hospitals in Dublin - the Mater, St James's, Beaumont, St Vincent's and Tallaght.
"I would like to inform you that as of yesterday there were 81 beds closed and when you take into consideration the 520 extra beds put into the system since this time last year it leaves us with a net increase of 439 beds, a fact not widely acknowledged," he said.
He added that the Government still remained committed to providing an extra 3,000 beds during the lifespan of the national Health Strategy and that there would be talks on Monday between his Department, the Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals and the Eastern Regional Health Authority on the proposed bed closures. He will also meet the Irish Congress of Trade Unions next week to discuss the situation. "No final decisions have been taken yet," he insisted.
However, Mr Martin was heckled several times during his address, most notably when he claimed no one could deny the health service was now providing "more and better services than ever before".
He was also heckled when he referred to nurses' pay, stating their salaries increased by between 30 and 50 per cent since 1997. Delegates laughed when he said he was pleased to report that "contrary to popular opinion" some 91 of the 121 actions set out in the Health Strategy were currently being implemented.
Meanwhile, the Minister also said the Government was committed to taking "early and decisive action" to reform the health service. "I will be making proposals to Government for the implementation of an integrated package of restructuring measures in the near future," he said.
"I am confident that there are gains to be made from a radical re-structuring of the health system. The proposals now being advanced are a considerable challenge.
"I will not understate the enormity of the task ahead - there are no quick fixes for the kinds of changes we envisage undertaking. I would also say that the full potential of the system can only be realised if we continue to invest as we reform," he added.
He again insisted the health service was not in crisis but agreed there were difficulties.
Last night a Department of Health spokesperson said the figures the Minister had given to the conference for bed closures to date had been supplied by the ERHA earlier this week. However, the Department accepted that by last night additional beds had closed, bringing total closures in the ERHA area at this stage to 153.