The Chief Clinical Director of the UL Hospitals Group insists the region’s main hospital simply doesn’t have the capacity to cater for the sustained high numbers of patients presenting at the ED.
Professior Brian Lenehan has expressed frustration over long-standing overcrowding issues and says that as long as capacity issues persist, they face the risk of having to keep cancelling elective procedures.
Almost all elective activity has been deferred at University Hospital Limerick this week as the hospital grapples with a combination of factors.
High volumes of patients have been presenting at the Emergency Deparment in recent months, while there has been escalating numbers of Covid patients in the hospital.
The Chief Clinical Director of the UL Hospitals Group admits the ongoing situation is frustrating but says every effort is being made by management and staff to manage the situation on a daily basis.
Professor Brian Lenehan insists the only solution to the ongoing crisis is additional bed capacity as well as the development of an elective-only hospital under the group’s governance.
There are currently 82 patients with covid-19 at University Hospital Limerick and 112 in across the group’s six hospitals.
Some of those patients are being treated specifically for the virus, but others are attending the hospital with other conditions and tested positive while there.
Professor Lenehan says the ICU is coping as those with the current strain of the virus aren’t as sick as those who contracted older strains, but he says efforts to isolate the spread is having an impact on patient flow.
Calls have been made recently for an inspection to be carried out at University Hospital Limerick with a view to getting to the root of overcrowding issues.
HIQA has carried out an inspection in the past fortnight and hospital management are awaiting the follow-up report.
Professor Lenehan says every effort will be made to implement any recommendations.
