Additional funding has been approved to alleviate the overcrowding problems at South Tipp General Hospital.
The Clonmel health facility has consistently been one of the busiest in the country in recent months – today there are 33 patients there without a bed.
South Tipperary General Hospital consistently features highly in the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation's daily “Trolley Watch” report.
An extra 11 beds are to be provided there following the sanction this morning by the HSE of €800,000 for a designated overflow bay at the hospital.
Speaking on Tipp Today Independent TD Michael Lowry says this will allow the fit-out of the area overhead the new CT scanner.
As part of the winter initiative announced by Minister Simon Harris a community intervention team has been established in the county.
7 nurses are based at Our Lady's in Cashel – Deputy Lowry says this project prevented the overcrowding situation at South Tipp General from being even worse than it was over Christmas and the New Year.
Meanwhile a Dublin based consultant in emergency medicine says the health service is broken – and it's not getting better.
Last week saw record levels of more than 600 patients on trolleys – with authorities blaming a spike in winter flu cases as one of the reasons.
Dr James Gray is Emergency Medical Consultant at Tallaght Hospital in Dublin where there are 19 people on trolleys including a 94-year-old.
