A PACKAGE of ­measures including further bed closures in acute hospitals in the region will have to be introduced by the Health Service Executive (HSE) to save over  €8 million by the end of the year, it has emerged this week. The 10-bed Elderly Care Unit has been closed in Ennis hospital since the opening of the acute Medical Assessment Unit last April and it seems unlikely it will re-open due to budgetary constraints.

A number of surgical beds have also closed in Ennis Hospital following the ­transfer of surgery to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick from Thursday night to Monday morning.
Ennis Hospital administrator John Doyle told a HSE West Forum meeting on Tuesday that €159.0 million had been spent on delivering acute services in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary hospitals for the first seven months of the year, which was €8.1 million over the allocated budget of €150.9 million.
Mr Doyle confirmed the HSE hoped to be in a position to break even by the end of the year by introducing a range of measures including bed closures, reduction in discretionary spending as well as cutbacks on overtime and agency staff.
The regional health authority has also exceeded its staffing quota of 3,444.25 whole time equivalents by 51, which should be reduced by the end of the year with the ban on all staff recruitment.
Mr Doyle stated the HSE priorities were on putting in place safety, quality and risk management systems, focus on improved clinical outcomes, continue the reconfiguration of acute services and continue its collaboration with the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF).
He added the authority wanted to improve access to in-patient beds for ­emergency admissions, roll out integrated code of ­practice for discharge planning and ensure value for money.
Official figures on the throughput of hospitals show there were 25,480 in-patient cases, 45,355 out-patient cases, 16,725 day case procedures and 3,170 births up to the end of July last.