It’s claimed further rises in waiting lists at the region’s main hospital are “inevitable” on account of the ongoing shortages in staffing and bed capacity within the health service.
New figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund show just over 23,400 people were on waiting lists at University Hospital Limerick last month, a fall of 775 on July.
But the numbers waiting 18 months, or more for an outpatient appointment rose by almost 1,400, representing a 37% rise over the space of a year.
Patient Waiting Lists and hospital overcrowding were among the topics discussed by the Irish Medical Organisation at it’s conference over the weekend.
One of it’s members, Lahinch GP Dr Michael Kelleher has been telling Clare FM’s Fiona Cahill that there is good reason to be fearful about what lies ahead for patients, but he remains hopeful:
Meanwhile, the level of overcrowding at the region’s main hospital is on the rise once again.
The latest trolley watch figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation show 56 patients were waiting for beds at University Hospital Limerick this morning, the highest in the country.
38 of those were waiting on trolleys in the Emergency Department, with a further 18 accommodated in overflow areas of wards.
The overall figure is 21 more than the next busiest facility.
