Health minister to visit UHL again this Thursday after unexpected visit on Wednesday

HEALTH Minister Stephen Donnelly is expected to be at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) this Thursday.

It follows an unannounced visit to its emergency department on Wednesday evening.

The Fianna Fail TD is to meet with the chief executive of the HSE, Bernard Gloster, the regional executive officer, and the management team in the Dooradoyle hospital.

His visit comes as the number of patients waiting on trolleys in UHL remain stubbornly high.

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According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, almost one in every six patients awaiting a bed were in Limerick on Wednesday.

Nationwide, 603 patients were on trolleys, according to the union.

Of these, 92 were at UHL.

A protest takes place outside UHL in response to Mr Donnelly's visit.

Run by the Mid-West Hospital Campaign, one of its activists, the former Solidarity councillor Mary Cahillane said: "We hope Stephen Donnelly saw the overcrowded, dangerous conditions for himself on Wednesday evening and we hope his early arrival wasn't a sneaky attempt to avoid protesters or to avoid meeting the people of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. If he has any courage he will come and address the people who will be gathered at the hospital and address their concerns."