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Dáil
‹ Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation

University Hospital Limerick overcrowding

Summary

Deputy O'Donoghue demanded action, including management resignations and even reopening Nenagh, over severe overcrowding at UHL backed by a letter from 87 health professionals. The Minister acknowledged the crisis, said staffing had increased, but stressed more beds and resources are still needed.

Today I again raise the issue of University Hospital Limerick, UHL, and ask for the resignation of all the management there. We always say to trust our health professionals. I hold a letter from our health professionals - 87 of them, doctors and professors - about the overcrowding in UHL. The letter states there has been extreme crowding and relentless demand on services for the past ten years, especially in UHL. We have to get an investigation into the management. We now have 87 doctors and professors - our health professionals; those who we said we should trust - who have come out as well as 11,000 who turned out in Limerick and throughout the country last week. When will this Government listen to us? I am at it for the past two and a half years and the Government has ignored the issue and brushed it under the carpet. It stops now. We want action from Government now. Our 87 health professionals, 11,000 people as well as healthcare staff asked for the Government's help. Limerick Deputies, including Deputy O'Donnell, should stand up and help.

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We are all concerned about the situation that has evolved. It has been there for some time but was particularly acute in the first weeks of January this year.

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They said ten years.

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Please.

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That concern over a period of time is why there has been an additional 1,161 staff in University Hospital Limerick in the past three or four years. One thing I am glad of is that, in that two-week period since that first crisis, the numbers, as I understand, have come right down. That should not-----

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Will the Government reopen Nenagh?

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Please.

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That should not make us complacent. We need the additional beds and resources. We need to support the management of emergency departments so that we do not have that bottleneck-----

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I asked for that to be done two and a half years ago and the Government did not do it. Now 87 health professionals have asked for it.

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