Deputy Kathleen Funchion used her speaking time in the Dail last night to question the Health Minister on proposals to use Maternity beds at St Lukes hospital to help address the current overcrowding there.
After raising the matter on KCLR last week, the Sinn Fein TD for Carlow Kilkenny had a parliamentary question for Minister Simon Harris seeking assurances over the issue.
Her concerns surround plans for 4 beds from the Maternity and Gynaecological services to be used for general patients at St Lukes.
Minister of State Finian McGrath took the question on behalf of the Health Minister and said he has been assured that any beds used for emergency dept referrals would be in an enclosed 4-bed bay and not part of a larger maternity ward to ensure privacy, dignity and clinical wellbeing of all patients
However Deputy Funchion responded by saying she has twice been a patient there and being familiar with the layout in that part of the hospital she thinks its not possible to say those patients would be isolated when there are shared facilities along the corridor.
