A total of 25,590 patients were readmitted to acute general hospitals in the State within one week of being discharged in 1999, the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, has disclosed.
Mr Martin was quoting from the Hospital In-patient Inquiry report, which gives statistical data on publicly funded acute general hospitals. The disclosure was in response to a Dail question from the Fine Gael deputy health spokesman, Mr Dan Neville. The data only indicated the number of patients readmitted to the same hospital, the Minister said.