Holiday weekend worries doctors

How the fourth day of the strike affected the State's 11 major acute hospitals:

St James's Hospital, Dublin (700 beds)

THE numbers of people attending casualty continue to rise. Some 92 sought treatment yesterday, up from 77 on Wednesday. Seven patients underwent surgery in the one operating theatre in use. More than 250 beds are unoccupied. Inquiries: 1800 202934

Beaumont Hospital, Dublin (627 beds)

ALL intensive care units are continuing to operate at full capacity, according to management. Some 86 patients attended casualty, almost double Wednesday's total. A total of 38 patients were admitted, increasing the in-patient population to 382. Inquiries: 1800 202935

Cork University Hospital (550 beds)

DOCTORS fear an influx of patients over the weekend may cause cracks in emergency cover. Medical staff already at full stretch with only one fifth of normal nursing complement assisting. Inquiries: 1850 742000

University College Hospital, Galway (538 beds)

SERIOUS backlog of patients forming in accident and emergency, according to hospital doctors, who have been asked to work additional shifts in the coming days. Meanwhile, nurses in two other hospitals in the region have stopped making beds. Inquiries: (091) 524222

Mater Hospital, Dublin (483 beds)

DOCTORS continue to voice concerns to the strike committee and management about inconsistencies in the type of work nurses are prepared to carry out. Medical staff are said to be worried that patients are not receiving sufficient care once they are transferred from the accident and emergency department to wards. Inquiries: (01) 803 2034/2036

St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin (472 beds)

ACCIDENT and emergency department said to be busy but coping despite reduced nursing cover. Sixty-one patients attended casualty, nine of whom underwent surgery. Only one operating theatre remains open. Information: (01) 209 4991/ 269 4533

Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Tallaght, Dublin (464 beds)

SOME 136 patients required attendance at accident and emergency, almost three times Wednesday's total. Doctors are coping but fear the situation will deteriorate over the weekend. Inquiries: 1800 202936. Psychiatric services: (01) 626 4077

Limerick Regional Hospital (395 beds)

SURGEONS said it would take nine hours to clear a backlog of emergency operations yesterday. They had to work on Thursday night to clear a previous backlog after the strike committee rejected a request to open a second theatre. The number of patients fell to 171 from 214 on Tuesday, with 34 nurses providing cover, 15 fewer than on Tuesday. Inquiries: 1800 200300

Waterford Regional Hospital (393 beds)

THREE urgent operations were cancelled and had to be rescheduled for Tuesday due to low nursing cover. The surgeon who was to perform the operations decided not to bring the patients into the operating theatre because of strike committee conditions. Community nursing cover has been reduced by four-fifths. Inquiries: 1 800 300655

Sligo General Hospital (306 beds)

EIGHTEEN more beds were closed. Only 130 patients are now in the hospital. A serious road accident on Thursday led to emergency admissions and one patient was flown to a Dublin hospital after receiving serious head injuries. Inquiries: (071) 71111

Letterkenny General Hospital (317 beds)

ACTIVITY levels remain relatively high, yet the number of vacant beds has increased to 82. As the bank holiday weekend approaches, the hospital's general manager reiterated that people should only attend casualty in the case of genuine emergencies. Inquiries: (074) 25888 or health board information line 1800 501701