The UL Hospitals Group is appealing to people to use local services including at Ennis General Hospital and to leave the ED for Emergencies only.
It follows record trolley numbers at the Dooradoyle facility this week – yesterday INMO figures showed 81 patients were left waiting for bed.
Today that figure remains high at 76.
The UL Hospitals Group came under fire as trolley numbers at University Hospital Limerick exceeded levels ever witnessed by any hospital in the country.
Yesterday, there were 81 patients waiting to be admitted according to INMO figures, and that number has fallen only slightly today to 76.
57 of them were waiting on trolleys in the ED this morning and a further 19 were being accommodated in overflow areas of wards.
Barefield Independent Councillor Ann Nortan, who’s a member of the HSE’s Health Forum West, has accused hospital management of putting lives at risk, and claims they knew in advance that this was on the cards.
But Hospital Management insists that a lack of patient knowledge on the services being provided locally is compounding issues in Dooradoyle.
Clinical Director, Professor Paul Burke says more patients could be using other services such as Ennis General.
Professor Burke went onto say that the hospital is taking every possible step to alleviate pressure on the system, but that as some community services are also at capacity, discharging patients is an issue.
He believes the constant pressure is also putting huge psychological pressure on staff at every level in the system, which in itself takes its own toll too.
And while more beds are planned for the hospital – a 60-bed modular unit will be delivered next year – Professor Burke also told Clare FM’s Morning Focus that it’s unlikely there’ll be any major increase of bed capacity beyond that.
Hospital Management are now appealing to people not to go to the hospital unless in an emergency situation and instead to go to their GP or the Medical Assessment and Injury units at Ennis General Hospital.
