Withdrawal of ambulance crew overtime could have 'devastating effect' on UHL

The National Ambulance Service at the St Nessan’s Road base is facing additional pressure of having its overtime withdrawn for a second year in a row. 

It is understood that on February 24 they were notified of this withdrawal from a senior member of staff that, with immediate effect, overtime for intermediate care service was to be withdrawn. 

According to sources, this will have a “devastating effect” on University Hospital Limerick’s already severely overcrowded emergency department, as “there will be less patient transport ambulances available”.

“Patients on trolleys may have to wait longer for an ambulance to transfer them to an alternative bed elsewhere. 

“How is this delay in transport going to work when patients start presenting with symptoms of potential coronavirus?”

UHL was the most overcrowded hospital in the country in February, according to figures published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation. 

With 1,286 patients on trolleys, this was a 32% increase on the same time period in 2019, when there were 973 patients on trolleys. Sources have also expressed concern that the taxpayer will end up footing the bill for a private ambulance services.