It’s claimed serious questions need to be asked of management within the UL Hospitals Group, regarding persistent overcrowding issues at the region’s main hospital.
Councillors are meeting with Hospital Management tomorrow, for a briefing on plans and activity underway within the group.
It comes on a week when there has been record-equalling trolley numbers at University hospital Limerick.
Trolley numbers have remained persistently high over the summer months and this week too.
From Monday’s high of 81, the INMO’s Trolleywatch statistics today show 66 patients were waiting for beds at Dooradoyle.
39 of those were on trolleys in the Emergency Department this morning.
Clare Councillors have been invited to meet with hospital management tomorrow evening to discuss plans for the future.
West Clare Independent Councillor and Health Campaigner, Ian Lynch says serious questions will be asked, as he believes someone needs to be held accountable for the persistent issues with overcrowding.
But a Clare member of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West has rejected claims that nothing has been done to ease the crisis.
Whitegate Fine Gael Councillor Pat Burke has pointed to the ongoing work on the 60-bed modular unit, which is due to open next year.
He hopes the increased bed capacity will make a difference.
Meanwhile, there’s been a 70% annual increase in the number of people facing long waits for outpatients appointments at Dooradoyle.
At the end of August, there were 37,000 people on waiting lists and of those, 8,700 were waiting over a year and a half to see a consultant.
New consultant surgeons in ENT and orthopaedics have recently taken up post and the appointment of two new consultant orthopaedic surgeons to the group has been approved.
The UL Hospital Group says this will help meet the significant demand for this specialty, while the opening of the new cataract only theatre in Nenagh Hospital is also said to be aiding efforts to reduce OPD wait times in ophthalmology.
