Unless it is totally necessary, people are being urged not to attend the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), due to the acute overcrowding.
The UL Hospitals Group, in a statement, have declared that 232 patients have attended their emergency department from 8:00am yesterday to 8:00am today. In this statement they claim that the hospital was managing high volumes of patients, following a busy weekend in the department and a rise in the number of delayed patients being discharges.
The hospital which serves North Tipperary is urging members of the public to consider attending injury clinics at St. John’s Hospital (Co. Limerick) Opening Hours 8:00am – 6:00pm; at Ennis Hospital (Co. Clare) Opening Hours 8:00am – 8:00pm; and the downgraded Nenagh General Hospital (Co. Tipperary) Opening Hours 8:00am – 8:00pm; instead of University Hospital Limerick.
Where should people attend in the case of night time accidents or other emergencies?
According to figures supplied by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation’s Trolley Watch, 78 patients were on trolleys today at University Hospital Limerick, (eight more than yesterday), each and all awaiting admission to a bed within that UHL establishment.
We are aware of massive staff shortages being foisted on UHL; however, this begs a question; why are trolleys being used instead of beds, latter readily available in empty wards. Currently amazing talented nursing staff and doctors who are, work-wise, grossly stretched beyond all limits, yet still managing to attend and treat every patient confined to a hospital trolley (latter akin to lying all day on a surf board). Could this same work not be carried out using a bed, latter sitting in vacant wards instead of on a trolley in crowded, noisy corridors?
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