UHL Overcrowding Levels Hit Year High

Unisveristy Hospital Limerick
Photo © Pat Flynn

Overcrowding at the region’s main hospital has hit one of the highest ever levels today.

69 people are without a bed at University Hospital Limerick – meaning almost one in five awaiting admission in the country today are at Dooradoyle.

44 of those are in the hospital’s ED, while a further 25 being accommodated in overflow areas of wards.

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The figure is more than 30 higher than the next busiest facility in the country on a day when there are 374 patients seeking admission to Irish hospitals.

FULL UHL STATEMENT:

The Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick has been extremely busy over the last number of days.  At 8am this morning, Wed 6th Sept there were 57 patients waiting to be admitted to beds either in the Emergency Department or on wards.  At 12noon today this number had reduced to 52.  The number of patients waiting for admission typically reduces over the course of the day, as patients are discharged or transferred freeing up capacity in the ED.

Traditionally, average attendances at the ED have been approximately 150 over a 24-hour period from Mon – Fri and 120 per 24 hours at weekends. Attendances have been significantly above these levels in recent weeks and particularly in the last number of days.

The new ED has designated spaces for 49 patients and admitted patients waiting for a bed are often in single rooms or designated bays. While patients still face long delays in the new ED, it provides for a much improved patient experience compared to the old department. Triage times have also improved which means that patients are being seen quicker by clinicians.

UL Hospitals Group regrets that any patient has to face long waits in our ED during busy periods.

There are currently 24 beds temporarily closed across the Group, 4 beds in UHL which are planned to open next week and 20 beds in St John’s Hospital.  We are in discussions with the St John’s Hospital management team regarding the re-opening date for these beds. 

Patients are reminded to keep the ED for emergencies only and to contact their GP or GP Out of Hours services in the first instance.   Injury Units are open in Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday and 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday at St. John’s Hospital.  Patients aged 5 years+ with minor injuries; for example suspected broken bones in arm or lower leg, sprains, strains, minor scalds, burns or cuts are encouraged to visit their Injury Units for treatment.

A number of measures are taken to relieve pressure on the ED in line with our escalation plan including the transfer of suitable patients from UHL to Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, St John’s Hospital and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital; the transfer of appropriate patients to community care settings; working closely with Community Intervention Teams to provide antibiotics and other basic care in a patient’s home or care facility; communication with GPs to ensure patients are referred to ED only where appropriate; extra ward rounds; and as a last resort, extra beds are put on wards. 

In additional all elective procedures have been postponed in University Hospital Limerick to free up bed capacity for admitted patients.

UHL has 400 inpatient beds and this is recognised as not being sufficient for the needs of the MidWest Region.  A bid to build an additional 96 bed block on the UHL site has been submitted to the Department of Health and approval has been granted for funding of the design stage of the build.

 Plans to open a 17-bed short stay unit for medical patients in the old ED are well advanced and it is expected the unit will open in September.