Hospital overcrowding may worsen this year as more frail older people who cannot access nursing home care will present to emergency departments, it has been claimed.

Nursing Homes Ireland (NHI) CEO Tadhg Daly said as a result of the substantial cuts to the budget of the Fair Deal nursing home funding scheme this year, many older persons will not be able to avail of long stay beds and will have no other option but to remain within the acute hospital sector or present at their local hospital emergency department.

Mr Daly noted that hospital ED and ward trolley numbers are growing this week, and there has been an increase reported in admissions of frail elderly people.

"For many older people in 2014, they will be waiting a number of weeks and likely months to avail of Fair Deal funding to enable them access the specialist, continuous care of nursing homes. This will have a very significant impact upon the wider health sector and our acute hospitals in particular."

Mr Daly called on the Government to reverse the budget cuts to the Fair Deal scheme.

Hospital overcrowding worsens