Vol. 396 No. 6
190 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that a critical situation has arisen in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9 due to a shortage of beds, with only urgent emergency cases being admitted; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I understand from Beaumont Hospital that in order to allow a review of the admission system and the current utilisation of beds, the hospital's consultants have been requested to limit admissions to particular categories of patient from 1 March to 11 March this year. These categories are: (i) urgent and acute emergencies from the accident and emergency catchment area; (ii) urgent and acute transfers from other hospitals; (iii) acute admissions from the out-patients department.
This is a temporary arrangement and the hospital will resume normal practice on 12 March. The hospital will at least maintain its activity level in 1990 in line with that achieved in the latter half of 1989.
