Madam, - I refer to a report by John Downes in your edition of December 2nd concerning the pressure on A&E services at Beaumont Hospital ("Hospital rejects criticisms by Rabbitte over A&E conditions").
For the record, I did visit the hospital, including the A&E department, on December 1st. At 5 p.m. 32 people had been attended to and 40 were awaiting attention. Staff were at full stretch. Some patients were in armchairs and on ambulance trolleys since there were no further hospital trolleys available and the Mater was unable to take any of the overflow.
This inordinate pressure on staff and patients will continue while there is forced closure of beds and inadequate stepdown and nursing-home places. - Yours, etc.,
PAT RABBITTE, TD,
Leader of the Labour Party,
Dáil Éireann,
Dublin 2.