Health minister announces extensive plan to tackle overcrowding crisis at UHL

The Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced a number of measures to alleviate overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. 

Speaking following a visit to the hospital this Thursday, Mr Donnelly confirmed that he had agreed the measures, which include increasing the amount of beds at the hospital, with the HSE. 

The minister confirmed the Acute Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis is to open 24/7 and that 20 permanent step down transition and rehab beds are being procured in Co. Clare 

A procurement process has been initiated for the operation of a new 50-bed Community Nursing Unit in Nenagh as a step down sub-acute and rehabilitation facility for this hospital for one year until the first 96 bed block is opened at UHL.

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Minister Donnelly says the bed profile for the first 96 bed-block has been increased from 48 to 71 with recruitment starting this year and the building expected to be operational in 2025.

It was confirmed in 2022 in relation to the first 96 bed-block that only half of the 96 beds (48) would be new stock.

The remaining 48 beds will replace existing bed capacity at the hospital’s old nightingale wards.

The second 96 bed-block at UHL will be accelerated with enabling works having already begun on the building.

It  has also been announced that 16 additional fast build beds are to be commissioned on the campus of UHL with this capacity to be available in advance of next winter’s surge.

During his visit, Mr Donnelly met with senior management from the HSE and UL Hospitals, including regional executive officer Sandra Broderick, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster, as well as consultants and other clinical leaders at UHL on Thursday.

UHL has consistently the highest number of people waiting on trolleys for admittance to a hospital bed in the country.

In 2024 to date, 17% of those who waited on trolleys did so at UHL, a hospital which has 6% of Emergency Department attendances, and 6% of attendances of those over 75 years.

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The number of patients on trolleys at UHL has increased by 49% so far this year.

Minister Donnelly said: "This continued problem is not acceptable to me as minister, and it most certainly is not acceptable to the people of this region.

"These measures have proved to be successful when deployed in Waterford, Mullingar, Beaumont and elsewhere and I expect that they will be successful when they are rolled out here in Limerick.

"Reform and change are difficult, they challenge us all, but reform and change are required here in UHL if we are to provide the service the people of this region expect and deserve."

Minister Donnelly also met with representative groups of nursing and NCHD staff.