There are over 200 less beds available in community hospitals across Cork and Kerry
The HSE say they recognise that there's a shortage of public nursing home beds in the city which the INMO says is only adding to the overcrowding and congestion in hospitals.
The nursing union has long been calling for the release of more community beds which would free up hospital beds and help to ease the overcrowding issues at emergency hospitals in particular.
Currently there are 1276 beds available in community hospitals across Cork and Kerry but only 1066 beds are available due to construction on three new community nursing units in St. Finbarrs, Midleton and Killarney.
Cork Kerry Community Healthcare says the works at the hospitals are necessary and the majority of the 210 beds will become available over the next 12 months.
The group say that work is underway on converting the former Blarney Golf and Leisure Resort into an additional 50 bed community nursing unit and the 60 bed extension of Heather House in Gurranabraher will help with the shortage of beds.
The INMO have long been warning that nursing staff are exhausted and burnt out with many leaving the profession. The union say the lack of step down facilities and community beds is part of the overcrowding problem at acute hospitals in the city and urgently needs to be tackled .
