Nurses say record-breaking numbers of patients have been left waiting for beds at the region’s main hospital today.
The latest figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show there were 132 patients on trolleys at University Hospital Limerick during morning rounds, 61 of those in the Emergency Department.
It’s the highest number ever recorded at any hospital in the country, with the previous record of 130 set at UHL on October 23rd last year.
Today’s overall figure is almost double the next busiest facility; Cork University Hospital, where 71 patients were left waiting for beds this morning, and represents more than a fifth of the total number waiting for beds at hospitals across the country.
Statement from UL Hospitals Group:
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.
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
We are following our 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.
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.
Additional measures introduced in the past year include the expansion of our GP-referral Medical Assessment Units to seven-day services across the region, with the dedicated MAU pathway for ambulance calls now implemented in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s. Other admissions-avoidance measures introduced include the opening of the Geriatric Emergency Medicine (GEM) Unit at UHL, which is extending its hours of operations to a seven-day service until the end of March 2024. We have expanded the Pathfinder service across the Mid West region, where NAS paramedics and health and social care professionals from UL Hospitals Group respond to low acuity ambulance calls from the over 65s and provide assessment and support in the home aimed at avoiding a hospital admission.
The Emergency Department 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.
Choosing appropriate care
Everyone in the Midwest can help reduce pressure on the ED by considering all the options available to them if they need medical attention. These are listed those below.
However, the public should be assured that anyone who is seriously injured or ill, or worried their life may be at risk, will be assessed for treatment in the Emergency Department as a priority.
Where should people go for care?
We ask everyone in the area to understand the available care options and to avoid the ED except in cases of severe or life-threatening illness or injury. This will really help us prioritise urgent care for those who need it most. At the same time, you’ll be treated in a fraction of the time you would have spent at the ED.
For breaks, burns and other minor injuries
Injury Units treat broken bones, dislocations, sprains strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. They are open seven days a week in:
Ennis, 065 686 3121, V95 HN29: 8am to 8pm
Nenagh, 067 42311, E45 PT86: 8am to 8pm
St John’s, Limerick, 061 462 222, V94 H272: 8am to 7pm.
For other less serious illness or conditions
Contact your GP or out-of-hours GP services or talk to your local pharmacist.
How can I get updates?
Please check @HSELive and @ULHospitals on Twitter/X or hse.ie for the latest and most reliable news.
