84-year old patient spends 80 hours on trolley in the lead up to Christmas

AN 84-year old patient spent more than three days on a trolley at University Hospital Limerick in the days leading up to Christmas, including Christmas Eve, according to hospital sources. 

Following several reports that overcrowding was a major issue at University Hospital Limerick during the Christmas period, it emerged that an 84-year old patient spent 80 hours in the hospital's emergency department.

Another elderly patient spent two days on a trolley on a corridor which was so crowded with other trolleys, hospital staff barely had room to move through the corridor. 

University Hospital Limerick declined to comment when contacted for a statement on the reported overcrowding. 

Meanwhile, Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan has said that much-needed beds in Limerick must “not be a casualty” of the Government’s overspend on the National Children’s Hospital project, which could cost the taxpayer up to €1.73bn.

“Additional beds in University Hospital are essential to start addressing the acute problems we have in the hospital especially around access in the Emergency Department,” Deputy Quinlivan said. 

“These extra beds will be a key to addressing the chronic overcrowding that University Hospital Limerick is now experiencing on a daily basis and delays in providing them is simply not acceptable.”

He added: “Any further delays to delivering beds in UHL will be resisted and we will continue to campaign for increased capacity in our local hospital with proper staffing. We will ensure also that money is well spent and deliveries value for any money spent.”