University Hospital Limerick pressure
Deputy O’Donnell highlighted severe overcrowding and Covid pressure at UHL and asked about winter staffing and funding for a new unit. The Taoiseach said the hospital was under great strain and that the HSE was looking at resources and innovations to relieve pressure.
I raise the matter of University Hospital Limerick, UHL. It currently has the highest trolley count in Ireland, with 58 patients on trolleys. It has 56 Covid patients. Thirteen Covid patients are in ICU and 30 patients have been in ICU for a long time. That is above the number of ICU beds in the hospital, of which there are 12. There are also high-dependency unit beds, bringing the number to 28. Of the available beds in ICU, over 50% are taken up by Covid patients. I have a question about the winter preparation plan. A 96-bed unit is going out to tender, which will take time to set up. We have to get through the winter period. Can UHL apply under the winter preparation plan, for the time from now until March, to get-----
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-----the resources to be able to employ staff and junior doctors and to make that submission for funding to get us through this winter period?
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Yes, it can. We do everything that we can to support University Hospital Limerick. It is acknowledged that the hospital is under much pressure. There are high numbers with Covid in Limerick, which manifest in hospitalisation rates, especially in the intensive care unit. The high numbers are getting attention from the HSE. We are looking at what resources and innovation we can provide to take pressure off the staff and try to help.