Nurses say University Hospital Limerick remains the most overcrowded in the country once again today.
This is despite the opening of a new 17-bed unit in the old ED, which has opened as part of efforts to reduce trolley numbers there.
Clare FM’s Gavin Grace reports:
A new 17-bed short-stay ward has officially opened at University Hospital Limerick.
It’s located in a refurbished area of the old Emergency Department in Dooradoyle, which closed to the public in May following the opening of the new 24 million euro ED on site.
The ward will operate around the clock, facilitating patients with an expected length of stay no greater than 48 hours.
It’s hoped the extra beds will ease pressures on the system, even though it is acknowledged that many more are required, and despite the new unit overcrowding is high once more today.
INMO figures say there were 38 people left waiting for beds there this morning, a rise of 5 on yesterday’s figure, and the highest of any hospital in the country.
The government has said a decision will be made on funding for an additional 96-bed block on the UHL site before the end of the year, as part of its review of the capital spending program.
