Taoiseach pledges visit to University Hospital Limerick amid overcrowding concern
AN TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has said he hopes to visit University Hospital Limerick (UHL) soon after concerns were raised about overcrowding in the facility.
The former Health Minister, a doctor by profession, was in attendance at a meeting of the region's Oireachtas members a few weeks ago to discuss the crisis, which has seen dozens of people left waiting on trolleys - and sparked a major protest in the city at the weekend.
Addressing Limerick TD in the Dail Willie O'Dea, he said: "It was a very useful meeting and I was glad to be able to attend for at least an hour of it. I hope to visit the hospital soon."
Mr O'Dea had thanked the Fine Gael leader for attending the meeting, adding: "It was much appreciated."
He asked a number of questions off the back of this, including a timeframe along the delivery of the elective hub's operation, pledged by the government to address the overcrowding in the short term.
It's to be a new private facility, located on public health grounds, to provide non-urgent surgeries.
"Has a building been secured to house that facility or has one been identified," he asked.
"There is no date for the surgical hub yet, unfortunately. We need to look at different options for that but it could help a lot with elective waiting lists," Mr Varadkar said.
He pledged to ensure Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to contact Mr O'Dea directly with answers.
The long-serving Fianna Fail TD also asked what the up-to-date situation is on the application by UPMC which would allow it to welcome HSE patients.
The Taoiseach said it "makes sense" for the University of Limerick Hospitals Group (ULHG) to engage with UPMC, which is planning to build north of Moyross, "on their ideas".
"I understand construction is to begin on the new Bon Secours hospital in Limerick quite soon and I encourage ULHG to begin early discussions with them," he added.
"We know how effectively Waterford hospital uses the Whitfield and it makes sense for Limerick hospitals to get in early to see if they can make use of the new private hospital when it is built and engage with UPMC on their ideas," the Taoiseach concluded.