Tag Archives: emergency department

ON April 6, 2009, the A&E unit in Ennis closed, with politicians promising a new centre of excellence at what was then known as the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick. Fifteen years and on those promises have never been fulfilled, with the A&E at UHL now regularly setting unwanted records for the worst overcrowding in the country. Horror stories about the hospital abound and this week Clare Senator Timmy Dooley has called for an emergency to be declared, while independent TD Michael McNamara has demanded that the incoming Taoiseach take the lead on resolving the dire situation at UHL. Mr McNamara said that he doesn’t have much faith in the Government to resolve a crisis that has been worsening throughout its time in office. “There are possibilities, but do I see those possibilities being exploited or utilised by the Government? I don’t. I don’t want to play politics with this but the reality is that there is a problem …

  HEALTH inspectors found the Emergency Department (ED) was “grossly overcrowded” with a total of 121 patients requiring care on February 21, a new report has revealed. Patient experience times (PETs) and the time spent waiting for tests were raised by patients in the emergency department as areas of great frustration, according to a new report from the Health Information and Equality Authority (HIQA). One patient described how they waited for four days for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and seven days for an electroencephalogram (EEG). When asked what could be improved about the healthcare services at UHL, patients described how the hospital environment was‘noisy’ and how‘the bright lights in the emergency department made it difficult to rest and sleep’. Trolleys were described as “uncomfortable”. Patients described being accommodated on trolleys on the corridor as “not dignified or private”. Patients also reflected on how “there was not enough staff’” and “staff were overworked”. The report warns the association between …

WORK has commenced on delivering the new €90 million 96-Bed Block at University Hospital Limerick, which will result in a net increase of 48 new in-patient beds. However, the UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed this new extension will take at least two years to complete and the new facility will then have to be equipped and commissioned before opening to patients. Described by the group as the next step in increasing acute bed capacity in the Mid-West, the new 9,800 square-metre block will be built over the existing Emergency Department and Dialysis Unit and will consist of 96 en-suite single rooms over four floors. Approximately half of the beds will be new beds for inpatients while the remainder will be replacement beds allowing the hospital to close or refurbish some of the more outdated inpatient accommodation on the site. This will allow for greater compliance with national guidelines and international best practice on infection prevention and control. Speaking in Limerick …

THE standard of public health care in the Mid-West was brought into focus again last week, as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation reported 126 patients being treated on trolleys on a single day at University Hospital Limerick. It claimed that this was the largest number seen at any Irish hospital since the INMO began keeping track in 2006. In a statement it said that the Limerick figure was more than 28% of the total number of patients on trolleys across the country. The INMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Mary Fogarty said, “The fact that we are seeing a record number of patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick on April 21 means that the bed management system is completely broken.” She claimed that the situation was taking a toll on staff. “INMO members in University Hospital Limerick are reporting significant work-related stress due to the persistent overcrowding and inability of provide appropriate care to all admitted patients. They …

A nursing union has called for the curtailment of elective treatments in University Hospital Limerick to reduce the expected spike in overcrowding in the Emergency Department over the coming weeks.   The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has called on the HSE to publish and implement a Plan B for dealing with the capacity crisis that is escalating within the public acute hospital system. The INMO has requested all activity except urgent emergency care to be curtailed in the public hospital system. INMO General Secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha expressed concern about the high numbers of patients presenting to Emergency Departments across the country. “From experience we know that if there are 287 patients for whom there is no bed in a hospital on December 30th, we know that figure will be tripled in early January. It is time now to scale back all activity within our public hospital system to emergency activity only. “Our public health service is too small …

Overcrowding continues to cause major difficulties at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) where there were 75 patients on trolleys on Monday following a very busy weekend of admissions. This trolley total was the highest in the country, and was 30 more than Letterkenny University Hospital where 45 patients were waiting to access an in-patient bed. On Sunday, the UL Hospitals’ Group issued a public appeal for patients to consider all alternative care options before presenting to the ED in UHL. The group admitted patients are experiencing long wait times following a week of very high demand for emergency services. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group outlined every effort is being made by management and staff to reduce these wait times and to maximise patient flow. The group regrets that any patient has to wait for extended periods of time. During September 2021, daily attendances at the ED averaged 240 an increase of 22%, compared with 195 in …

VISITOR restrictions have been introduced on two wards at University Hospital Limerick following an outbreak of Covid-19. Contact tracing and testing of staff and patients is underway and staff are now, in line with the national guidance, putting into effect all the appropriate infection control measures to mitigate the risk to patients and staff. Visiting on the two affected wards has now been restricted to compassionate grounds only and relatives and loved ones have been informed of same. Visiting on other inpatient wards is unaffected and is facilitated by prior arrangement. University Hospital Limerick is now facilitating scheduled timed visiting slots for in-patients and their visitors, during the hours of 2- to 4pm and 6 to 9pm daily. These slots are coordinated by clinical nurse managers and ward clerks in consultation with patients and their families and loved ones. These scheduled visiting slots are for inpatients only. The Emergency Department, Acute Surgical Assessment Unit, and Acute Medical Assessment Unit at …

Up to 10,000 scheduled public medical appointments and procedures have been cancelled in the Mid-West following the devastating cyber attack on the HSE’s information technology systems. The UL Hospitals’ Group has warned widespread service disruption will continue into a fourth week due to the impact of the criminal cyber attack. In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the group confirmed it is working hard with local and national teams to restore information technology systems. Systems are being restored based on clinical priority and progress will be gradual. To date, approximately 10,000 patients have had scheduled appointments or procedures cancelled and outpatient appointments and elective surgeries remain cancelled until further notice. Record numbers have been attending the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) this week and less urgent patients are being advised to expect delays and to consider alternative options to access healthcare before attending ED. Service disruptions continue in University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital, Limerick, Ennis Hospital, …