PRESSURE is growing on the UL Hospitals’ Group to address chronic overcrowding at University of Limerick (UHL) amid calls for an external review to establish why the addition of almost 100 beds hasn’t had the desired impact.
The number of patients on trolleys in UHL has reached 81 in recent weeks; there were 52 patients waiting for a bed on Friday and 44 on Wednesday.
Responding to Clare Champion queries, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) confirmed it is closely monitoring information related to large numbers of patients in UHL’s emergency department.
HIQA said it is awaiting a response on the issue from the group. The Clare Champion has learned the HSE has told the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation it is viewing the overcrowding as a serious issue and has sought a response from the group.
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26th April 2021
University Hospital Limerick emergency department
Nurses at the region’s main hospital say the ongoing pandemic is no excuse for the continued overcrowding in the facility’s emergency department.
It’s after the INMO called on HIQA to urgently investigate the issue at University Hospital Limerick, following a week where an average of 57 people were waiting for a bed there each day.
There had been hopes that the opening of more than beds and significant recruitment would ease pressures at UHL, but the UL Hospitals Group has stated that attendances at the emergency department ‘have never been higher’.
UL Hospitals dealing with extraordinary demand for services at emergency department
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THE UL Hospitals Group says it s managing an extraordinary demand for its services at its emergency department of a type and on a scale never before experienced in the Mid West.
It says demand is such that, despite the additional bed space opened at UHL over the past eight months, many admitted patients have been experiencing long waits for beds. This is not the kind of care we wish to provide, and we apologise to any patient who has experienced a long wait for a bed, said a spokesperson.
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Limerick s Live 95
Search By Live95 News Team University Hospital Limerick is experiencing the busiest ever day at it s Emergency Department.
A total of 283 patients attended the ED in the 24 hours to 8am this morning.
In the previous 24 hours, there were 241 attendances.
This is in contrast with last year’s average daily attendances of 195.
UL Hospitals Group is urging the public in the Mid-West to consider all care options before attending the ED.
During the past month, the ED has been experiencing very high numbers of people sick with non-COVID illnesses and over the past two days, attendances at the department have never been higher.