UL Hospitals Group apologises for overcrowding following record break

UL HOSPITALS Group has apologised to “every one of our patients” following a record-breaking number of patients waiting on a trolley at the UHL.

The apology comes as 132 patients were reported waiting for a bed in the hospital’s emergency department and wards this Monday morning. It broke the previous record of 130 set in October 2023.

“University Hospital Limerick remains extremely busy this Monday, with attendances above average over the weekend and a high number of inpatients associated with the recent surge in winter respiratory illnesses,” a spokesperson for UL Hospital’s Group said.

“Demand for inpatient beds is exceptionally high and includes patients waiting in our emergency department, in designated bed spaces in our assessment units and surge areas, as well as patients on trolleys on our inpatient wards.

“The level of overcrowding is far in excess of where we want to be, and we apologise to every one of our patients who faces a long wait time for an inpatient bed,” the spokesperson added.

According to the spokesperson UHL are following an escalation framework to maximise patient flow and create additional capacity to manage the consistently high levels of activity in the hospital.

“Staff are focused on ensuring that emergency care is first received by the sickest patients,” the spokesperson said.

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“Ongoing measures include opening surge capacity across all sites; transferring patients on trolleys to our inpatient wards; additional ward rounds by medical teams to expedite discharges or identify patients suitable for transfer to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospitals; and working closely with our colleagues in HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare in order to expedite discharges.

“Elective activity is also being reviewed on a daily basis in UHL and across our sites, as our teams work to maximise surge capacity while ensuring that the most urgent and time-critical cases can be accommodated as scheduled,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson continued: “The emergency department (ED) remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most. However, the public should please be aware that anyone attending ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait.”