Acute units not fully operational

By Catherine Reilly.   The National Acute Medicine Programme has requested an additional 18 consultants to increase operational hours in acute medical assessment units in tertiary (Model 4) hospitals.   Speaking to IMT before her presentation at the RCPI Public Health Medicine Winter Scientific Meeting held on Wednesday, Dr Orlaith O’Reilly, Director of Public Health, HSE South, said there were insufficient staff in these units in Model 4 hospitals for them to operate 24/7. Most of these units in the eight Model 4 hospitals in Ireland had three consultants and the aim was to increase this to six, she explained.…