A patient who had been prepared for surgery in Cavan General Hospital had to be left lying by the operating theatre for several hours when staff had to attend another emergency operation.
RTÉ News has learned that the patient was in the operating theatre and about to receive an anaesthetic when a second emergency arose last Thursday night.
The only two theatre nurses and anaesthetist there had to leave her to attend to the other case as it was of higher priority.
The woman was left for several hours before being transferred to St James's Hospital in Dublin later that night for surgery.
The Health Service Executive said Cavan was able to cope with the two emergencies.
Hospital campaigners say lives were put at risk and are warning this situation will arise again when Cavan takes all surgical cases from Monaghan Hospital on 1 January.
