The report of an independent inquiry into the death of a man who bled to death at Monaghan General Hospital last October is expected to be published by the Health Service Executive within days.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said yesterday that publication of the report into the death of Pat Joe Walsh (75) was "imminent".
Mr Walsh, from Killanny, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, died after doctors failed in their bid to have him transferred to two other hospitals in the region - Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and Cavan General Hospital - for emergency surgery on a bleeding ulcer.
The transfer was sought as doctors in Monaghan were not allowed carry out emergency surgery. They were told Drogheda and Cavan hospitals had no intensive care beds available for Mr Walsh. It later transpired that this was not the case.
The report was compiled by Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital, and Prof John Monson, professor of surgery at the University of Hull. Their preliminary report said the inquiry found "systematic evidence of serious process failure at almost all levels of activity apart from nursing care".