Proposal to use empty nursing home beds to ease pressure on St Luke’s Hospital Kilkenny

Nursing home beds across Carlow and Kilkenny should be used to alleviate pressure at St Luke’s Hospital.

That’s according to Nursing Homes Ireland who say there are more than 40 beds available between private and voluntary homes in both counties.

Up to yesterday there had been 107 people recorded as being on trolleys in the local hospital this week alone.

Tadhg Daly of Nursing Homes Ireland told KCLR news that a lot of beds are being taken up by elderly people who could be getting the same care elsewhere.

He says more than 20 beds in Carlow and a similar figure in Kilkenny are not in use currently.