Aut Even Consultant says govt stats on private hospital occupany rates are misleading

Local consultant Stuart Edwards says the government figures on occupancy rates in private hospitals are misleading.

The Orthopaedic Surgeon says the takeover of the country’s private hospitals left him with very little work.

And hospitals like Kilkenny’s Aut Even have only been one-third full as opposed to official stats saying there was 50% to 60% occupancy.

He says that private hospitals were only used to 30% of their capacity during the pandemic.

Speaking on KCLR Live he also claimed overcrowding issues in public hospitals at the moment are because wards are being closed for rennovation.

There were 16 patients waiting on trolleys at St Luke’s in Kilkenny on Thursday morning.