Tag Archives: UL Hospitals CEO Colette Cowan

A PLANNED debate about overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick was deferred at a meeting on Tuesday when there were 84 patients on trolleys in the hospital, a number that rose to 100 this Wednesday. Councillor Liam Grant and Councillor Seamus Morris had tabled a motion calling for the consistent overcrowding to be addressed by reversing the closure of Emergency Departments at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospital at a HSE West Forum meeting on Tuesday. However, the councillors decided to defer any discussion on this motion due to the lack of any representative from the UL Hospitals’ Group at the meeting. Overcrowding continues to be a problem at the regional flagship acute hospital where the number of patients on trolleys soared to 100 on Wednesday. According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation Trolley Watch, this was almost twice the number of patients on trolleys in Letterkenny where were were 54 patients on trolleys and was also much higher than …

    The majority of scheduled public surgery and outpatient appointments in the Mid-West will be deferred next Tuesday due to an increase in staff absences . The UL Hospitals’ Group has confirmed Covid-19 related staff absences are resulting in significant disruption to services. This has resulted in the deferral of most of scheduled surgery and outpatient appointments across all hospital sites from Tuesday, January 4 until Friday, January 7. This includes University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, St John’s Hospital, and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. Services at University Maternity Hospital Limerick are unaffected. All impacted patients are being contacted directly by the hospital.   As the group experience a significant surge in Covid-19 activity across society, it anticipates that an increase in staff absences will have a significant impact on services over the coming weeks. There are currently 392 staff off work and self-isolating having either tested positive for Covid-19, been designated as a close contact or have been …

  OUTPATIENT and elective surgery will resume at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and Ennis Hospital next Tuesday, the UL Hospitals’ Group announced on Friday. The group explained the cancellation of surgery was necessary for patient and staff safety while both hospitals have been managing a number of outbreaks of Covid-19. During this time, six wards in UHL were closed to admissions. In addition, some 221 staff across the group were off work and self-isolating due to Covid-19. Meanwhile, the Outbreak Control Teams established in both locations has continued to work closely with public health and occupational health colleagues, in accordance with HPSC guidance, to contain the virus and protect all the patients and staff in our hospitals. Contact tracing and testing of staff has been ongoing, and all appropriate infection control measures have been implemented to mitigate the risk. On Friday, the Group’s Hospital Crisis Management Team decided to extend the service curtailments at UHL and Ennis for just one …

CONCERN has been expressed about the lack of a definitive opening date for a new €19.5 million 60- bed block modular unit to tackle overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after a government minister recently pledged it would be operational at this stage. Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People, Mary Butler stated in the Seanad recently “from a construction perspective, the new ward block should be ready to be operational by Monday, November 9”. In fact, Minister Butler praised all those involved on their hard work and patience in seeing the much-needed additional capacity for University Hospital Limerick come to fruition. She also thanked Senator Martin Conway for his constructive approach as she was aware he had raised this issue many times. “The Government is committed to developing acute hospital services and infrastructure. University Hospital Limerick is an integral part of the University of Limerick hospital group, providing hospital services and care to the populations of Limerick, …

OVER €5,000 has been raised for Pieta House MidWest thanks to the support of those who took part in UL Hospitals’ Group annual charity 5k run and walk. Over 200 people completed the course around Dooradoyle and Raheen, the majority of them hospital staff. Another 25 health workers completed a 5k in Nenagh to help raise funds for Pieta House, which offers counselling and other suicide and self-harm supports to people around the country. Speaking after presenting a cheque for over €5,000 to Pieta House, UL Hospitals CEO Colette Cowan said, “Our annual 5k is part of our Healthy Ireland strategy at UL Hospitals. Two of the pillars of this strategy are looking after your mental health and promoting physical activity for people of all abilities. We were delighted to be able to again support the great work that is being done locally by Pieta House for people in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary who are going through a mental health …