HIQA says further supports will need to be provided to the UL Hospitals Group if overcrowding issues persist.
The health authority has this week published its overview of the hospital system, which found that University Hospital Limerick was only partially compliant in systems relating to infection prevention and control.
It follows concerns from nurses union the INMO which has called for Ministerial intervention, saying trolley numbers are “impacting hugely” on the spread of Covid-19, however the UL Hospitals Group says there’s no evidence of this.
HIQA’s Head of Healthcare says they found the UL Hospitals Group did the best it could in dealing with the pandemic on the background of poor infrastructure, which hindered its ability.
Sean Egan believes the overcrowding situation is very concerning, but insists HIQA has been engaging with the UL Hospitals Group about addressing an extremely difficult situation.