The Irish Patients Association’s Stephen McMahon warned overcrowding contributes to preventable deaths and injuries in our hospitals and communities. He also called for an independent investigation into the mess. He said: “We have unconfirmed reports that some public patients have not seen a consultant in the past seven to eight days. “The HSE needs to confirm all public patients have been seen ­regularly by consultants over the past seven days. “A further concern is that we have been informed that some ­junior doctors are reviewing and are not clinically competent to ­discharge patients. The HSE needs to confirm this is not happening and also publish the current ­readmission rates. The HSE needs to advise that all patients are ­discharged from hospital by ­appropriate competent people.

“Finally we believe it appropriate that the chairperson of the HSE board should make a statement to the patients and staff who have been suffering, especially in the light of the HSE’s own executive management teams declaring the current situation a crisis.”