Tag Archives: UL Hospital Group

THE UL Hospitals Group have tonight confirmed that following the updated National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) guidance issued on Monday evening, April 12, the Covid-19 vaccination clinic scheduled for the Radisson Blu Hotel on Wednesday, April 14, has now been cancelled. The group have apologised for any inconvenience and said the approximately 600 people affected are being contacted directly. In a statement received this evening, the group said, “Patients will be offered an alternative appointment as soon as possible. Approximately 1,200 people from Group 4 have had their appointments cancelled this Tuesday and Wednesday and, of these, we have identified just over 400 who are in the 60 to 69 age bracket. “This group of patients are now being offered a vaccination appointment this Thursday, April 15, at the Radisson Blu Hotel. This is in line with the updated guidance from NIAC. We encourage this group of patients to respond to the text notification and to attend for their appointment …

UL Hospitals Group and HSE Mid West Community Healthcare have said they are working closely with Public Health colleagues in tracing contacts of confirmed cases of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus). A new helpline with the number 1890 300046 has been launched today to provide information and support to the public in Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary who are considered a casual contact or close contact of confirmed cases in the Mid West. It will be open each day from 10am to 5pm. The information and advisory team has been established as a local point of contact. The National HSE Live helpline number is 1850 24 1850. All general queries should be directed to the national helpline number. A HSE statement this afternoon said, “The people who have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection have been interviewed in depth by the Department of Public Health and their contacts who are at risk of infection have been identified. This is contact tracing. During the …

UL Hospitals Group has this week commenced writing to patients in the community to advise them that they shared a ward or clinical area before their discharge with a patient who subsequently had a positive result for CPE, which is an antibiotic resistant organism. Antibiotic resistant organisms are often called superbugs. The word superbug is used to mean bacteria that are hard to kill with antibiotics. CPE is a relatively recent global health problem. A number of different kinds of CPE have been introduced into Ireland and have spread in the healthcare system in recent years. As such, these patients are designated CPE Contacts. A patient who is a CPE contact is so defined because they have shared a ward or clinical area with someone who has been found to be carrying CPE. There is about a one in 20 chance that someone who is designated a contact will become a carrier of CPE. There is about a one in …

Strict visiting restrictions remain in place at University Hospital Limerick following an outbreak of influenza. As of 1pm on Tuesday, December 20, there were 10 confirmed cases of seasonal influenza in the hospital. The Health Protection and Surveillance Centre has urged people in high-risk groups to get vaccinated as the number of reported cases of influenza-like illness (ILI) in Ireland has increased in the past week. The figures for the Mid-West are above the national baseline for influenza-like illness. UL Hospitals Group has asked that members of the public respect the current restrictions on visiting at UHL. Visiting is restricted to one person per patient during visiting hours only, 2pm to 4pm and 6pm to 9pm. In recent days the hospital had advised visiting was limited to the critically unwell and to parents of sick children only. The restrictions have been amended in response to feedback from patients/families and in consultation with the infection prevention and control team. It remains …

MEMBERS of the public joined UL Hospitals Group staff in promoting a healthy lifestyle, while at the same time raising awareness for Pieta House. Over 200 people took part in the annual 5k Run/Walk around Dooradoyle/Rahee and in so doing, they raised almost €5,000 for suicide prevention and counselling services in the Mid-West. Promoting exercise in the workplace is part of UL Hospitals’ commitment to health and wellbeing, a commitment recently formalised in the publication of the group’s Healthy Ireland Implementation Plan 2016-2019. Healthy Ireland is at the centre of government health policy, promoting physical and mental health and wellbeing with a view to reducing the burden of chronic disease in the decades to come. Hospital groups, including UL Hospitals, have adopted plans in line with the national strategy to promote health and wellbeing. The UL Hospitals Healthy Ireland Implementation Plan 2016-2019 identifies 60 priority actions do just that for the 380,000 people it serves and the 3,300 staff it …

The medical assessment unit (MAU) at Ennis Hospital, which is part of UL Hospitals’ Group, is now operating seven days a week. The Mid-West HSE said it hopes the expansion of opening hours to include weekends will help to ease overcrowding in the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick but, more importantly, will also provide and enhance the service for the local people and GPs. Since opening in 2013, the number of patients presenting at Ennis MAU has increased year-on-year with between 20 to 35 patients assessed daily. Dr Tom Peirce, consultant in charge, explained, “The unit aim to see patients within two hours of arrival. In approximately 15% of cases, we will admit the patients who come to the MAU but the emphasis is on same-day diagnosis, treatment and discharge, wherever possible. The MAU work very closely with the community intervention teams to ensure a seamless pathway of care for the patient between our hospital and home,” said Dr …