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UL Hospitals Group CEO Says Second 96-Bed Block Needed At UHL In Long Term

The CEO of the UL Hospitals Group says a second 96-bed block unit is needed to get to sufficient bed capacity in the region’s main hospital.

Senior members of the Group have been answering questions from the Oireachtas Health Committee today.

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“I apologise for distress and lack of dignity and privacy experienced by far too many patients seeking to access care in UHL”. These were the opening words of UL Hospitals Group CEO Colette Cowan’s to the Committee this morning, following a damning HIQA report on University Hospital Limerick’s emergency department, which was published back in June.

Professor Cowan told the Committee that she believes UHL still has a shortfall of approximately 87 beds.

Members of the committee have been grilling members of the UL Hospital Group’s senior executive today following a damning HIQA report on University Hospital Limerick’s emergency department, which was published back in June.

That report suggested UHL was failing to provide ‘dignity’ or ‘privacy’ to its patients at the time it was inspected in March of this year.

Inspectors claimed UHL is understaffed, with a number of patients waiting more than 70 hours plus in the emergency department for a bed.

CEO of the Group, Professor Colette Cowan, began this morning’s proceedings by apologising for the findings of the report, though stated her belief that UHL still has a shortfall of approximately 87 beds.

A 96-bed block, which will deliver a total of 48 new inpatient beds, is to begin construction next month and is estimated to take two years to complete, costing €90 million.

However, Professor Cowan says a similar project will be needed again to ensure UHL’s capacity begins meeting its demand.

The closing down of emergency departments in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s back in 2009 has been blamed in some quarters in the Midwest for capacity issues and high trolley numbers.

However, the Chief Clinical Director of the UL Hospitals Group has told today’s proceedings he doesn’t believe Ennis is in a position to be upgraded to a model three facility.

Professor Brian Lenehan says the focus needs to be on continuing to develop existing facilities and infrastructure.

Trolley numbers have improved slightly at University Hospital Limerick since a lengthy on site visit by the HSE’s Performance Management Improvement Unit in July, with 45 patients waiting today according to the INMO, compared to 62 on the same date last year.

A second site visit is planned again next week, with checks set to be conducted on whether recommendations from the body have been implemented across the UL Hospitals Group.

However, there are fears about what the winter may bring in the short term.

Professor Brian Lenehan says they are hopeful that incremental improvements will be made for patients presenting to Dooradoyle over the next number of months following the HIQA report.

Listen to the address here:

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