Health minister announces extensive plan to tackle UHL crisis

MINISTER for Health Stephen Donnelly has announced a number of measures to alleviate overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. 

Speaking at UHL this Thursday, Mr Donnelly confirmed that he had agreed the measures, which include increasing the amount of beds at the hospital, with the HSE. 

A procurement process has been initiated for the operation of the new 50-bed Community Nursing Unit in Nenagh as a step-down, sub-acute and rehabilitation facility for this hospital for one year until the first 96-bed block at UHL is opened.

The new bed profile for the first 96- bed block has been increased from 48 to 71 with recruitment starting this year and the building expected to be operational in 2025.

It was confirmed in 2022 in relation to the first 96 bed-block at UHL that only half of the 96 beds (48) would be new stock.

The remaining 48 beds would replace existing bed capacity at the hospital’s old nightingale wards.

However, today's announcement by Mr Donnelly confirms that there will now be 71 new beds as opposed to 48.

The second 96-bed-block at UHL will be accelerated with enabling works having already begun on the building.

16 additional fast-build beds are to be commissioned onsite with this capacity to be available in advance of next winter’s surge.

Other measures announced by the minister today include a further 20 permanent step-down transition and rehab beds being procured in Clare and safe staffing will be extended to all wards in UHL as per the national rollout.

The opening hours of the region’s three Acute Medical Assessment Units at Nenagh, Ennis and St John’s are to be extended to 24/7 on a phased basis.

UHL is to be one of two national test sites for Acute Virtual Wards and the hospital will also provide GP and Advanced Nurse Practitioner-on-the-door services for the ED in an effort to alleviate overcrowding and allow the ED staff to treat urgent and emergency patients in a more timely manner.

Mr Donnelly met with management, including regional executive officer Sandra Broderick, HSE CEO Bernard Gloster, as well as consultants and other clinical leaders at UHL on Thursday.

UHL has consistently the highest number of people waiting on trollies for admittance to a hospital bed in the country.

In 2024 to date, 17% of those who waited on trollies did so at UHL, a hospital which has 6% of Emergency Department attendances, and 6% of attendances of those over 75 years.

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

The number of patients on trolleys has increased by 49% (1.6k) at UHL so far this year.

Minister Donnelly said: "This continued problem is not acceptable to me as minister, and it most certainly is not acceptable to the people of this region.

"These measures have proved to be successful when deployed in Waterford, Mullingar, Beaumont and elsewhere and I expect that they will be successful when they are rolled out here in Limerick.

"Reform and change are difficult, they challenge us all, but reform and change are required here in UHL if we are to provide the service the people of this region expect and deserve."

Minister Donnelly also met with representative groups of nursing and NCHD staff.