Tag Archives: UHL

UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick has been criticised as “most overcrowded and under-resourced hospital in the state” by Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne, as the number of patients on trolleys increased from 70 to 77 this week, writes Dan Danaher. New figures produced by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show UHL was the most overcrowded hospital with 1,269 patients on trolleys last month. This compares to 943 patients waiting for beds in University Hospital Letterkenny: 829 in University Hospital Galway and 688 in University Hospital Cork. In fact, the number of patients on trolleys increased fivefold in UHL from 244 in October 2013 to 1,269 in October 2021. The number of patients on trolleys in Ennis Hospital increased from just three in October 2020 to 30 last month. The current levels of Covid-19 have had an impact on staffing. The number of staff on Covid-19 related leave has increased from 50 last week to 71 this week. In addition, there are 27 staff …

THE “3 for 3” Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in aid of the local Symptomatic Breast Cancer Unit, UHL will take place in Limerick on Sunday October 31 at 3pm. The scenic 3km walk will start and finish at Arthur’s Quay Park and will incorporate the three bridges of Limerick. It is suitable for all ages and of course you can bring along your four-legged friends! Caroline Moloney, breast cancer survivor and founder of “3 for 3”, said “Following the success in 2019 raising over €26,500 we are thrilled to be able to host this fabulous event once again after being absent last year. “We are very grateful to be able to raise much needed funds for the breast cancer clinic and more importantly in a position to highlight breast awareness in a safe environment. “We would like to thank our sponsors Pinergy and Scanlons Pharmacy who continue to make this event possible,” added Ms Moloney. Shona Tormey, Consultant Breast and …

HIGH levels of overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), the cancellation of outpatients appointments, and spiralling waiting lists have been described as akin to watching a “car crash in slow motion”. As UHL struggles to deal with an increase in Covid-19 patients and a dramatic increase in ED admissions, a senior government minister has admitted the pandemic record of 91 patients on trolleys in the hospital on October 12 was unacceptable. UHL had the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the country on Tuesday with 47, and had the second highest number of suspected cases of the virus with 42. Seven confirmed cases were in ICU, while there was only one available ICU bed on Tuesday. In an interview with The Clare Champion, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the health service is dealing with an extraordinary global pandemic, which has put a lot of pressure and strain on hospitals. “This is going to have a knock-on impact on …

OVERCROWDING at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is continuing to create records for the wrong reasons after 91 patients were left waiting for a hospital bed on Tuesday. UHL continues to record the highest number of patients on trolleys this week, and the level of overcrowding is considerably worse than most acute hospitals throughout the country. In fact, the Trolley Watch figure of 91 on Tuesday is just one short of 92, the record for the highest number of patients on trolleys for an acute hospital – set in UHL on January 6, 2020. This figure is the highest for any acute hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic, and shows no signs of reducing dramatically in light of the huge surge in hospital admissions in recent weeks. The number of patients on trolleys in UHL went up from 67 on Friday to 90 on Monday, climbed slightly to 91 on Tuesday before a slight reduction to 90 on Wednesday. There were 44 …

UL Hospitals Group is extending today’s one-day cancellation of all but the most time-critical outpatient appointments at University Hospital Limerick, and some elective surgery at St John’s Hospital and UHL, until this Wednesday, October 20. Patients who are directly affected by these cancellations are being contacted by UL Hospitals Group, and will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity. Outpatient appointments at Ennis, Nenagh, Croom and University Maternity Hospital Limerick are unaffected by the decision. Emergency care will also continue through the Emergency Department (ED) in UHL, and the Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals will remain open. Services that are unaffected by these cancellations and will continue are: Cancer Clinics; Rapid Access Lung Clinics; Rapid Access Prostate Clinics; Rapid Access Breast Clinics; Nurse led Heart Failure and Cardiac Rehab; Day-case Angiograms; Acute Fracture Clinic, UHL; Endoscopy Clinics; Eye Clinic; ENT Clinic; Endocrinology Clinic; Dermatology Clinic and Vascular Laboratory Clinic. Patients with an appointment at these specific clinics …

IN LINE with national guidance on Covid-19, U Hospitals Group is now asking all patients attending its acute hospitals about their vaccination status. The group stated today that the move was to keep all patients and staff in their hospitals safe from Covid infection, as numbers with the virus remains stubbornly high. All patients will receive care and treatment whatever their vaccination status, a spokesperson for UL Hospital said. “Knowledge of vaccination status enables safer management of patients, and assists with contact tracing either in the hospital or afterwards in the community, if a patient comes into contact with a COVID-19 case in any of our hospitals,” UL Hospitals Group Information on the vaccination status of patients in acute hospitals would be determined and recorded, either prior to admission or as soon as possible thereafter. The request for the information applies particularly for unscheduled attendances at the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick. People attending acute hospitals can present the …

ATTENDANCES at the Emergency Department (ED) at the region’s main hospital continue to hit record levels last seen before the pandemic. In a statement, the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG) confirmed that well in excess of 200 patients have been presenting every 24 hours at the ED in Dooradoyle. It has again asked members of the public to “consider all care options” before attending. In the 24-hour period to 8am on Wednesday (August 18), 229 patients attended the ED. A total of 241 attended the ED in the previous 24-hour period. “This continues a pattern of high attendances to ED around the country which has been sustained over a number of weeks and current activity levels remain far in excess of the 195 average attendances at our ED recorded in 2019, the last full year pre-pandemic,” a statement said. The hospital has also seen an increase in the number of Covid-positive patients being treated. As of Wednesday, there were …

VISITING restrictions imposed at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) earlier this month are being lifted and scheduled visits to inpatient wards can recommence, by arrangement, from tomorrow (Thursday, August 19). The temporary visiting ban announced on August 6 was one of a number of infection control measures adopted in response to an outbreak of Covid-19 at the facility. Hospital management, working closely with infection prevention and control and microbiology colleagues, have now decided it is safe and appropriate to reintroduce hospital visiting in line with the relevant national guidance. Scheduled individual inpatient visits are being coordinated by the clinical nurse managers and ward clerks, in consultation with patients and their families and loved ones. From Wednesday, hospital staff have been making contact with these families and loved ones to arrange/schedule visits. The hospital has warned that members of the public who have not arranged their visit in advance cannot be accommodated. It should be noted that these visits are for inpatients …