Tag Archives: Limerick hospital

The Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick is to recruit 23 nurses to help manage the load in emergency department, local TD, Kieran O’Donnell, has confirmed. “I am pleased that the hospital is recruiting for nurses to address the overcrowding issue. This is absolutely vital. This is being done in tandem with a campaign to recruit another 25 nurses for roles elsewhere in the hospital,” the Limerick deputy said. “Last September, I met with Minister Leo Varadkar with the purpose of getting a new short-stay unit open in order to deal with the overflow from A&E. That short-stay unit was opened, and I understand the unit and its staff complement will be used to alleviate pressure in the interim period, while we wait for the new A&E to be completed. “It has been a matter of great concern to me that we have to face two to three winters before the new facility will be open. Increased pressure during winter has been a …

UP to 1,200 nurses in the Mid-West look set to approve industrial action early in the new year over “unsafe” plans to provide more than 100 extra beds in corridors and unsuitable rooms at Ennis Hospital and other local acute hospitals without extra staffing. Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO) and SIPTU will ballot for industrial action during the first week of January over a new HSE escalation plan, which is designed to tackle chronic overcrowding in the emergency department (ED) at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). The general consensus indicates this ballot for industrial action will be approved by a large majority, paving the way for a work-to-rule as a starting point possibly during the third or fourth week of January. INMO representative, Mary Fogarty has demanded to know who sanctioned the reconfiguration of acute hospitals services in the Mid-West, which involved the closure of 24-hour emergency services in Ennis without putting the required additional resources into …

THE HSE has come under fire for its decision to spend in the region of €2,500 on the Christmas tree outside the acute hospital in Dooradoyle, Limerick. Councillor Ann Norton highlighted a claim that €2,500 was spent purchasing a massive Christmas tree for University Hospital (UHL). Describing the expenditure as a “waste of money”, Councillor Norton claimed it should be possible to purchase a good Christmas tree for €200. She stated that this money could be put to much better use in hiring nurses to try and reduce the long waiting times for people on trolleys in UHL. While acknowledging that it is important to create Christmas spirit, she said patients would prefer to see a smaller Christmas tree but better care, when they had to attend the emergency department. “I am not against the principle of putting up a Christmas tree but it is important that the HSE gets its priorities right. Which is more important, spending money on …

Forty-seven patients were waiting on trolleys, with no available beds, at University Hospital Limerick early this Monday morning. Following on from this, the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation is calling for the implementation of the Major Emergency Plan at University Hospital Limerick to bring about “a level of control and safety at the emergency department.” “At 8am this morning 47 patients, who were admitted in the last 24-48 hours for care, but for whom no beds were available, have been left on trolleys in the emergency department. This is catastrophic and the Major Emergency Plan should have been utilised by management at the hospital to protect the patients, the staff and to assist to make the hospital safe, said Mary Fogarty, INMO industrial relations officer. Ms Fogarty noted that despite the fact that the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) in June 2014 detailed a range of risks resulting from the overcrowding in UHL, it still continues. “The INMO has …

Visiting restrictions at University Hospital Limerick have been lifted following the recent outbreak of suspected Norovirus (the winter vomiting bug). The HSE has, however, issues a reminder that  visiting hours are strictly 2-4pm and6.30-8.30pm.

An Ennis woman, who recently tried to take her own life, has appealed for changes in the general admission and treatment policies for people suffering from severe psychological and emotional distress. Aisling Byrnes, aged 36, claims she was discharged on her own from University Hospital Limerick recently, without a care plan or a request for a family member to take her home, despite being under high observation while she was in the hospital. She has decided to speak about her recent experience to try and ensure no other patient experiences the same serious deficits in the regional mental health system. Her experience has prompted Liam Minogue of Emotions Peer Support Centre (Peer) to request the Mid-West HSE to conduct an urgent review of general admission and treatment policies for people in crisis. The Mid-West HSE hadn’t responded to a number of queries from The Clare Champion at the time of going to press. Ms Byrnes, who suffers from borderline personality disorder, …

The conditions experienced by patients attending the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick are unacceptable, a new report published this Friday by the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has found. The report also highlights a number of patient safety risks in the hospital group, which must be addressed as a priority. HIQA’s report of the review of the governance arrangements as reflected in the safety, quality and standards of services at UL Hospitals found a clear willingness to change and improve services for the public, but that the absence of a statutory governance framework is hindering the development of strong governance and patient safety functions. HIQA’s director of regulation, Phelim Quinn said, “Since the findings in 2009 of HIQA’s investigation into the quality and safety of hospital services in Ennis Hospital, there has been an extensive and positive journey of reconfiguration and reorganisation in the catchment area covered by UL Hospitals. Substantial governance and operational changes have occurred and …

A YOUNG nurse at University Hospital Limerick broke down in tears on her doorstep after outlining the problems caused by chronic overcrowding. That’s according to Councillor James Breen, who has requested Health Minister James Reilly to take urgent action to address the lack of beds at UHL. During a recent canvass, Councillor Breen met a young nurse who asked him if there was anything he could do to stop the “inhumane treatment of patients who are made to lie on trolleys for hours waiting for admission. “The pressure and stress on nursing staff that are at the cold face of this situation and who also have to contend with abuse and criticism on a daily basis, is adding to the already intolerable work conditions,” he said. As a former member of the Ennis Hospital Action Committee, he said it is distressing to think that 20 years since the committee was founded, nothing has changed. “Only this time there seems to …