Of the delayed or closed beds, at the least 244 are usually not in use as a result of an absence of employees
Greater than 1,000 beds throughout the general public well being service are briefly closed or delayed, with greater than one-in-five unavailable as a result of staffing shortages.
That’s based on a snapshot of mattress closures throughout the nation supplied to Irish Medical Instances by the HSE.
In whole, 1,122 beds are recorded as both briefly closed or delayed. This consists of 722 beds which were taken out of fee, whereas the remaining 400 beds have but to open to delays, primarily in development and recruitment.
Of the delayed or closed beds, at the least 244 are usually not in use as a result of an absence of employees. Round 300 – greater than one-in-four – are unavailable due to upkeep or refurbishment works, whereas 212 have but to be opened as a result of development delays.
The info covers beds in acute public hospitals and HSE-run residential care amenities. Info has additionally been equipped on beds for psychological well being and habit therapy.
The closures talked about above don’t embody 261 hospital and 587 residential care beds scheduled to open this 12 months underneath the HSE’s 2025 Nationwide Service Plan, or the as much as 500 beds which are anticipated to turn out to be obtainable as soon as the Nationwide Kids’s Hospital opens its doorways to sufferers.
The info was supplied to IMT by way of the Freedom of Info Act.
Acute public hospitals
In line with figures masking the week ending June 15, a complete of 113 beds in acute public hospitals have been briefly closed.
This consists of 25 beds in St Luke’s Radiation Oncology Community which are briefly closed as a result of an absence of obtainable employees.
The beds cowl a unit that had been used as an inpatient ward up till 2021, besides for 2 single radioactive iodine rooms which are nonetheless in use for this objective.
“The demand for inpatient beds v ambulatory day procedures has modified in that the unit is now utilised for day procedures comparable to HDR gynaecological procedures, theatre instances, pelvic flooring physiotherapy, prostate day procedures, dietetics and psychology clinic rooms,” a spokesperson for HSE Dublin and Midlands stated.
“The rooms may also be utilised for overflow beds if required to forestall a ready record. Attributable to present staffing ranges and challenges with recruitment, there isn’t any particular timeline at current to reopen as an inpatient unit.”
In the meantime, 31 beds in Dublin’s Coombe Hospital are at present all unavailable as a result of ongoing upkeep. The closed quotient consists of six day-case, six crucial care and 19 inpatient medical beds.
“The beds stay closed and work is constant,” the spokesperson stated.
“It’s anticipated that six additional weeks of works are required which will probably be adopted by deep cleansing and air testing, we’re unable to offer a particular date for reopening of the beds right now.”
In Our Woman’s Hospital in Navan, six non-designated beds have been closed for refurbishment and upkeep, whereas Wexford Basic Hospital cited the identical grounds for the momentary closure of seven medical beds there.
In College Maternity Hospital Limerick, 9 obstetric beds have been recorded as briefly closed. In line with an announcement from HSE Mid West, 4 day-case beds and one inpatient mattress have been closed in January 2024 as a part of the refurbishment of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit.
“With the completion of these works, it’s anticipated the 4 day-beds will probably be re-opened for obstetric use in September 2025,” the assertion stated.
“The one inpatient mattress is predicted to be re-opened after completion of remedial works to an adjoining storage/sluice room.”
The remaining 4 day beds have been closed in mid-2023 as a result of ‘challenges in midwifery staffing’. The area has since been used as a lactation station for postnatal training and to help inpatients.
“The 4 day beds have periodically been used during times of excessive exercise on the hospital, most just lately between July 3 and July 8, 2025,” the assertion added.
The information said that Naas Basic Hospital has two inpatient beds closed as a result of staffing shortages, whereas three day case beds in St James’s Hospital in Dublin have been additionally unstaffed.
An additional eight inpatient beds in St James’s have been closed as a result of an infection management measures. This was additionally the rationale why 4 medical beds and one surgical mattress in Tallaght College Hospital have been briefly shut.
An infection management additionally led to the short-term closure of 5 beds in College Hospital Kerry, three beds in Our Woman of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, two beds in Dublin’s Mater Hospital, and one mattress every in Roscommon and Cavan Basic Hospitals.
With a capability of 10 beds, St Michaels ward in Beaumont Hospital has three at present closed as a result of resourcing points
Nursing properties
In line with April information from the Nationwide Mattress Register, 563 beds in HSE-run group nursing models have been briefly closed.
This determine is comprised of 345 long-stay beds in residential care properties, and 218 short-stay beds.
The commonest motive given for closures was refurbishment, with 216 beds closed as a result of ongoing works.
“As a result of age and construction of numerous the Group Nursing Models (CNU) main refurbishment works have been both accomplished or are nonetheless in progress underneath the Capital CNU Program,” the HSE defined.
“To facilitate these works it has been essential to implement a course of whereby beds are briefly closed on a rolling foundation.”
An additional 162 beds have been briefly closed as a result of orders by the Well being Info and High quality Authority, the physique accountable for regulating the residential care sector.
This consists of 86 beds within the Willow and Sycamore Models of Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfermot, Dublin.
HIQA’s register states: “The registered supplier shall be sure that no new resident is admitted to the Willow and Sycamore Models till the fireplace and well being and security dangers in these two models have been absolutely addressed. The works to deal with the chance related to the structural surroundings in Willow and Sycamore models have to be accomplished in full previous to the admission of any new resident into them.”
In an announcement, HSE Dublin and Midlands stated that “43 beds within the Willow Unit, Cherry Orchard Hospital are anticipated to open in This fall 2025 with an extra 43 beds within the Sycamore Unit, Cherry Orchard Hospital as a result of open in Q1 2026.”
One-in-three closed residential care beds have been positioned within the HSE West and North West area. Of the 188 beds briefly shut there, 155 have been designated for long-stay residents.
A complete of 39 long-stay beds and 35 short-stay beds have been closed as a result of HIQA orders made towards 12 nursing properties within the area.
In response, a spokesperson for the area stated: “Older Individuals Providers, HSE West North West is working with our colleagues in Estates to deal with any restrictions that have an effect on admissions which were positioned by the Regulator on our residential nursing properties.
“These restrictions relate primarily to bodily infrastructure and never any care or welfare points. They are going to be resolved by renovations of present buildings, and in some instances, development of recent buildings. These works/new builds will resolve the non-staffing restrictions to opening beds, topic to regulatory approval.”
The spokesperson added: “To make sure regulatory compliance relating to fireplace security, various the Donegal older constructed models are present process pressing important fireplace works. To facilitate the works, there are momentary mattress closures.”
One other 71 long-stay and 12 short-stay beds are closed within the area as a result of understaffing. The HSE West and North West spokesperson stated: “We’re actively recruiting roles inside the (HSE) Pay and Numbers Technique that are open to us. At current nursing posts marketed in two of our extra distant places in Galway have over 100 purposes obtained.”
Throughout the nation, there are an extra 360 residential care beds which have but to turn out to be obtainable, regardless of being as a result of open final 12 months underneath the 2024 HSE Nationwide Service Plan.
Of those, 71 stay closed as a result of recruitment points. A complete of 212 are usually not but open due to development delays. 27 beds – primarily based in Mallow and Clonakilty in Cork – are present process rolling closures as a result of HIQA-ordered refurbishments.
Psychological well being
On the finish of March this 12 months the entire 1,022 beds in acute grownup accredited psychological well being centres have been operational. Whereas acute inpatient beds are briefly closed from time to time as a result of causes together with upkeep and an infection management, the HSE stated different beds are used of their stead throughout these durations.
The Nationwide Forensic Psychological Well being Service (NFMHS) in Portrane, Dublin, has 40 deliberate beds which have but to open as a result of delays in development and inadequate staffing. Of those beds, 10 are earmarked for youngster and adolescent psychological well being providers (CAMHS).
As of the tip of Might, 21 of the 72 nationwide CAMHS beds – nearly one-third – are closed. Of those closures, 11 relate to the Linn Dara inpatient unit at Cherry Orchard Hospital, Dublin. The ability has a complete of 24 beds however has been unable to seek out long run employees for its Hazel Ward because the HSE was pressured to shut it in Might 2022.
A spokesperson for HSE Dublin and Midlands stated that Linn Dara ‘reluctantly’ determined to briefly shut the beds.
“This choice has not been taken calmly and has come about as a result of continued difficulties in sustaining the mandatory staffing ranges inside the nursing grades within the accredited centre,” they stated.
“Each effort is being made to safe the mandatory staffing for Linn Dara. Nonetheless there may be a global scarcity of certified nursing employees.”
They added: “Linn Dara is competing to draw nursing employees in a really difficult recruitment surroundings and are in competitors with the non-public sector. Linn Dara’s mattress capability will enhance in accordance with the recruitment and induction of recent employees members. The state of affairs is underneath fixed evaluation by administration.”
In the meantime, eight CAMHS beds in Merlin Park College Hospital in Galway are at present not open to sufferers. Data word that Merlin Park has wanted to scale back its operational beds to 12 as a result of important constructing works which have commenced inside the unit and are due for completion in Q2 2025.
“The beds are nonetheless closed as a result of ongoing constructing works that took longer than anticipated,” a spokesperson for HSE West and North West stated.
“Within the intervening interval, staffing numbers within the service have decreased because of the Pay and Numbers Technique. The service will reassess the state of affairs as soon as the work is completed, aiming to open some beds as sources permit.”
Habit therapy
Residential habit providers are run by way of a mixture of publicly funded beds and the HSE buying therapy episodes quite than beds.
By way of providers which are absolutely funded and/or run by HSE, it has two in-patient medical cleansing amenities: Cuan Dara unit in Cherry Orchard Hospital and Beaumont Hospital, each in Dublin.
Cuan Dara at present has 11 beds open with an extra 12 unavailable pending a transfer to new premises, which the HSE stated is deliberate with ‘appropriate resourcing’ to happen earlier than the tip of the 12 months.
With a capability of 10 beds, St Michaels ward in Beaumont Hospital has three at present closed as a result of resourcing points.
Beforehand, the HSE had a brief keep 10-bed residential service for addiction-related issues – Keltoi unit in St Mary’s Hospital within the Phoenix Park – that was closed in 2022 as a result of repurposing of the ability and restructuring of the service. These 10 beds stay closed and, based on the HSE, ‘are in want of resourcing’.
The HSE additionally funds Dublin Simon’s homeless stabilisation service at Ushers Island within the metropolis. The well being and habit centre opened final 12 months with capability for 100 beds. On the time Dublin Simon stated that the ability would generate annual financial savings to the HSE of €22 million and result in a discount of 33,000 mattress days in acute hospitals and EDs within the space.
Nonetheless, so far simply 51 beds within the centre are operational. The HSE stated that, as a part of a phased implementation plan, 12 extra beds will open within the coming months. Nonetheless, there was no dedication but made as to when the remaining 37 beds will probably be funded.
Welcoming the promised funding for the 12 extra beds, a spokesperson for Dublin Simon stated the charity ‘stays targeted on working this life-saving facility at its full capability of 100 beds within the close to future.’
