Beds lie dormant in county hospital

Badly needed beds which have been ready to use at a county Cork hospital for over 18 months must be brought into use immediately, a local TD has said.

Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea is calling on the HSE to immediately open the remaining six beds in Macroom Community Hospital.

Following a major refurbishment project at the hospital, the beds were completed in June 2024 and have been registered by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) since July 2025.

Deputy O’Shea said it is deeply disappointing that the HSE has failed to put plans in place to bring the much-needed beds into use.

“These six beds are finished, compliant, and HIQA registered. At a time when our acute hospitals are under relentless pressure, it is simply unacceptable that they remain closed,” Deputy O’Shea said.

Mr O’Shea recently raised the issue with the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, through a parliamentary question. In his question, Deputy O’Shea asked about the role of community hospitals in Macroom and Millstreet in alleviating pressure on acute hospitals through step-down care, and whether all available beds are being utilised to support delayed discharges.

While the HSE confirmed that community hospitals play an important role in step-down, rehabilitation, and convalescent care, and outlined regular coordination meetings across acute and community services, Deputy O’Shea said the response does not address the core issue in Macroom.

“The HSE speaks about ensuring no operational bed is left vacant. The problem in Macroom is that these beds are not being made operational in the first place, despite the capital investment already made and the clear need for additional capacity,” he said.

According to Deputy O’Shea, opening the six beds would immediately help reduce delayed discharges from acute hospitals, improve patient flow, and ensure older patients can receive appropriate care closer to home.

“We cannot justify leaving beds idle when patients are waiting on trolleys or stuck in acute settings because there is nowhere suitable for them to go. The refurbishment of Macroom Community Hospital was meant to strengthen community care, not deliver empty rooms,” he said.

Deputy O’Shea has called on the HSE to provide a clear timeline for staffing and opening the beds, and to engage urgently with local representatives and hospital management to resolve the issue.

“These beds must be opened without any further delay. The people of Macroom and the wider Cork North-West area deserve better,” he concluded.