A major investigation is under way to determine why a hospital in Monaghan was told no intensive care beds were available at two hospitals in the northeast for one of its patients who was bleeding to death when intensive care beds were empty in the two hospitals.
It emerged yesterday that intensive care beds were available at both Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, last Thursday night when staff at Monaghan General Hospital were trying to transfer Patrick Joseph Walsh (75) for emergency surgery. He later died.
Monaghan hospital is not allowed carry out emergency surgery, and when Mr Walsh became gravely ill with a bleeding ulcer on Thursday staff at the hospital attempted to transfer him, first to Drogheda and then Cavan.
However, they were told these hospitals could not accept him as they had no intensive care beds free.
Staff in Monaghan also tried to get the patient into Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
A spokesman for Beaumont confirmed yesterday that the hospital was contacted, but it did not have an intensive care bed available.
Minister for Health Mary Harney told the Dáil yesterday afternoon she had now been informed "there was an intensive care bed vacant in Cavan General Hospital when Mr Walsh needed to be transferred.
"The circumstances surrounding this tragedy require thorough investigation," she said.
It has also since emerged that an intensive care bed was also available in the Drogheda hospital.
Edward Walsh, a nephew of the dead man, said last night he was "absolutely shocked, absolutely dismayed" at the revelation.
"We have either been lied to, or somebody is totally incompetent," he said.
"We were told when my uncle was dying that no bed was available for him in Cavan, Drogheda or Beaumont, but the registrar said he would keep trying.
"We need answers to this. It is disgraceful."
Ms Harney said Mr Walsh, a semi-retired farmer, had died tragically. "This should not have happened . . . the circumstances surrounding this tragedy require thorough investigation."
The investigation, she confirmed, would be independent, and would be carried out by Declan Carey, a consultant surgeon at Belfast City Hospital.
"This review will be completed and a report issued within an eight-week timeframe," she said.
"I look forward to this review answering all the questions around this tragic case as a matter of urgent public interest and patient safety," she added.
Mr Walsh, from Killanny, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, broke his hip about three weeks ago and was admitted to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
He had surgery, and while there, was also treated for his bleeding ulcer. Last Thursday, the hospital transferred him to Monaghan by ambulance. He arrived in Monaghan at 5.45pm, and died the next day at 7.25am.
Edward Walsh claims the Drogheda hospital should never have transferred him. "He must have been very ill before he left Drogheda."
He said the whole episode left him very angry. He had watched his uncle die for seven hours while a hospital tried to get doctors in another hospital to take him in for an operation.
"I'm a farmer and could get a vet in 40 minutes to care for an animal. The vet would come out quicker than a doctor."
Two people from the Health Service Executive (HSE) in the northeast, a director of nursing and a risk manager, visited the Walsh family yesterday to hear their story.
Staff at Monaghan hospital were also interviewed by HSE officials about Mr Walsh's death.
Ms Harney and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern came under fire in the Dáil over what happened to Mr Walsh.
Independent TD for Cavan-Monaghan Paudge Connolly said the configuration of health services in the northeast was costing lives.
"It's not a case of will there be another life lost. It's a case of when that life will be lost."