Tag Archives: UL Hospitals Group

ENGAGING in industrial action at the region’s main emergency care facility is “ill-advised” and a step too far, a local doctor has warned. INMO members at UHL commenced a ballot for industrial action on Wednesday over the alleged refusal of hospital management to attend talks at the Workplace Relations Commission. The INMO represents over 1,000 nurses on site who are frustrated at the approach to date by management to resolving the persistent high nurse vacancy rates and other related issues. Among nurses’ concerns are the risks to patients, overcrowding in a COVID-19 environment and excessive workloads arising due to unfilled funded nursing posts in wards, emergency department and theatres. Dr Michael Harty has called on Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to immediately intervene to prevent any threatened withdrawal of labour at University Hospital Limerick (UHL). “Minister Donnelly needs to take the understaffing issue very seriously. He was very strong on this issue when he was opposition spokesman on health. “I can …

THE development of a new ‘Urgent Care Centre’ at University Hospital Limerick has been recommended in a new draft plan by a Mid-West steering group looking at ways to alleviate overcrowding at the hospital. The news is confirmed in response to a parliamentary question from Clare TD Joe Carey. Deputy Carey directly raised the issue with the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. The local Fine Gael TD asked the minister if he was aware of the proposal to develop the Urgent Care Centre at University Hospital Limerick and if the necessary resources would be provided “to advance the plan and deal with chronic overcrowding at the hospital”. In reply, Minister Donnelly forwarded a response from UL Hospitals Group chief executive Colette Cowan. Ms Cowan confirmed to Deputy Carey, “A Mid-West Integrated Care Steering Group comprising staff from HSE MidWest Community Healthcare, UL Hospitals Group, National Ambulance Service and the Department of Public Health MidWest has developed a draft plan for an …

Patients in the Ul Hospitals Group (ULHG) Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) at the University of Limerick (UL) are benefiting from a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to their ongoing rehabilitation when they are transferred to the facility from the group’s acute hospitals. The ICF was opened on June 8 in the reconfigured main hall of the UL Sport Arena, a fully equipped temporary hospital setting for non Covid-19 or post Covid-19 patients who no longer require acute medical attention, but who can benefit from ongoing rehabilitation and support before final discharge. In the ICF rehabilitation is the primary focus, based on a rounded, holistic vision of healthcare and wellbeing. Medical and healthcare expertise is directed toward supporting the patient’s readiness for discharge, not just physically building their strength and communication skills, but also preparing them mentally and helping to ensure their home or residential care setting is optimised before their discharge. The 68-bed ICF, which has capacity to scale up to 84 …

UL Hospitals Group is reminding members of the public that the ban on visiting across its six hospitals remains in place. The activation of Phase 3 in lifting the Covid-19 public health restrictions will allow us to gradually increase elective activity across our sites. However, the visiting ban remains in place to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 and to help protect the safety of patients and staff during the ongoing public health emergency. The visiting ban was introduced in early March at University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, St John’s Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital. The ban also applies to the Intermediate Care Facility which opened at the UL Arena on June 8. Nor is visiting permitted to patients attending the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick or at the Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s. “We regret the distress or inconvenience our visiting ban causes for patients and their loved …

UP to 25 patients will be brought to a new Intermediate Care Facility (ICF) in the University of Limerick (UL) Sports Arena in its first week of operation thanks to a unique collaboration between UL and the UL Hospitals’ Group. Constructed at a cost of €1 million, all the equipment for the new field hospital in UL was provided by the HSE and all of its contains including the floor are reusable elsewhere. The ICF is a fully staffed and fully equipped Model One hospital facility that will provide rehabilation care for non-Covid patients who are discharged from acute public hospitals in the region. The 68-bed facility, with capacity to scale up to 84 beds, is fitted out with a typical ward support accommodation such as clean and dirty utilities, pharmacy, pantry, staff change, clinical treatment areas, two recreation areas, and four enclosed rooms. It is expected that up to 50 patients will be treated at peak demand with capacity …

THE provision of a new field hospital in the University of Limerick has been described as “amazing” by a local social worker. Medical staff from Clare and the Mid-West will pool their expertise to operate the new intermediate care facility. Joanne Hayes Inch outside Ennis is a medical social worker who will be working in UL as part of a multidisciplinary team with occupational therapists, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists. She will play a key role in the safe discharge process of a patient to a step down facility or their own home. Having met the patient, she will discuss their admission, experience in the facility and establish if they have any additional medical needs that need to be addressed when they are discharged at home. She will discuss the patient’s needs with their family and organise community supports, if they are deemed necessary. For the last four years, she has worked in the ED, rehabilitation of stroke patients …

AN ENNIS doctor has been appointed to a new paediatric cardiology service at UHL which is expected to improve patient access and reduce anxiety for families in the Mid West. Limerick has been designated an Area Children’s Cardiac Centre under the All-Island Congenital Heart Disease Network. The regional service has now commenced through the appointment of Ennis woman Dr Rachel Power as consultant paediatrician with a specialist interest in paediatric cardiology. Nurse specialist Georgina Purcell has also been appointed to support this significant service development. The All-Island Congenital Heart Disease All Island Network was established in March 2015 and is the first clinical network of its kind delivering world-class specialist care irrespective of borders or politics. The network manages an all-island service delivery model for congenital heart disease in children, building on existing services and drawing them together in a network of care which is patient focused and locally responsive. The establishment of Area Children’s Cardiac Centres, as part of …

UL Hospitals’ Group has reminded the public that the ban on visiting at its six hospital sites remains in place, to help protect the safety of staff and patients during the ongoing Covid-19 public health emergency. The visiting ban introduced in early March at University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, St John’s Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital is unaffected by the activation this week of Phase One in the five-phase reopening Ireland’s society and economy. The group welcomes the beginning of emergence from the restrictions of the past two months. While the group regret the distress or inconvenience the visiting ban causes for patients and their loved ones, a spokesman stressed it is necessary to keep the ban in place while the risk of a second wave of Covid-19 remains present. The reasons for limiting movement within hospitals remain as urgent as they were when the visiting ban was introduced in early March – to …