The South Eastern Health Board has welcomed last week’s announcement by the Minister for Health and Children, Micheál Martin, to commission additional acute hospital beds.

In his announcement, Minister Martin said that the increase in bed capacity by 709 acute beds nationally would allow the hospital system to significantly increase activity levels for public patients in the current year.

This is the first phase of the provision of 3,000 additional acute hospital beds by 2011, as announced in the Health Strategy, Quality and Fairness - A Health System For You.

The South Eastern Health Board’s additional bed capacity will be as follows:

Wexford General Hospital - 10 new beds

Kilcreene Hospital, Kilkenny - 28 new beds

Waterford Regional Hospital - 24 new beds

St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny - 14 new beds