Management at the region’s main hospital have been criticised for pushing ahead with plans to close a 17-bed ward, in light of the overcrowding crisis.
The short-stay unit at University Hospital Limerick, which opened in 2017 is closed from today to facilitate the completion of works on a new fracture clinic.
The UL hospitals group says the bed closures will be offset by a number of other measures.
Ward 1A was opened in September 2017 on a temporary basis, after the old Emergency Department was vacated.
But the unit is closing today, as part of overall plans to redesignate the space, which the hospital says will have significant benefit for patients attending the busy fracture clinic.
The INMO has hit out at the move, after last ditch talks between the nursing unit and the UL Hospitals Group, failed to come to a resolution.
The union’s Midwest Representative, Mary Fogarty says they’ll liaise closely with management at Dooradoyle on the planned future developments there.
The UL Hospitals Group says the impact of closing the bed will be offset by the opening of a 12-bed surgical short-stay unit last month and 3 additional cardiology beds last week.
In addition 5 bed spaces will open next Monday in the vacated former Acute Medical Assessment Unit, while the 15-bed medical ward 4C will be fully staffed at weekends from tomorrow.
But former a Chair of the HSE’s Regional Health Forum West, believes there should be no bed closures until after the planned 60-bed modular unit opens in 2021.
Kilmaley Fianna Fáil Councillor Tom McNamara insists this move doesn’t make sense at a time when the hospital is suffering from high levels of overcrowding.
