University Hospital Limerick overcrowding
Deputy Mattie McGrath condemned conditions in UHL and argued the hospital had been promised far more beds than exist. The Ceann Comhairle cut him off, the Minister of State interjected, and the Minister for Finance then repeated that overall trolley numbers had fallen nationally while UHL was still receiving extra staff, beds and further measures.
The people in north Tipperary, Clare and Limerick are incensed at what is going on in University Hospital Limerick, UHL. The hospital was promised 630 beds for a population of 350,000. The Minister mentioned figures to Deputy Doherty, which are untrue. The reality is that 150 people were on trolleys yesterday and not just in the accident and emergency department. They are all over the hospital as well. It is just bedlam and it is not fair or right. Three small accident and emergency departments were closed down during the great reconfiguration of the Ennis, St. John's and Nenagh hospitals. I ask that they be looked after and opened up. They have minor injuries clinics there but we hear advertisements on the radio telling us to go to our GP and only go to the hospitals as a last resort. Yesterday, a lady contacted me who was waiting two and a half weeks to get an appointment with a GP. Will the Government wake up and smell the coffee here? They should be hanging their heads in shame. I see the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, sitting behind the Minister. The state of UHL and the mistreatment of the people in that area is an abdication of the Government's duty. It is shameful. If the Ministers cannot do it they should call an election and get out of office. It is just not acceptable.
Comment on this
For balance, I should point out that overall we have seen a significant reduction in the number of people on trolleys last year compared to the previous year overall across the country. What were we are witnessing in UHL is not acceptable to the Government. I spoke with the Minister for Health this morning. He has been in contact as recently as yesterday with the CEO of the HSE and they will be putting in place additional measures to address the issue. When I look at the numbers I see that this hospital alone got an extra 1,000 staff over the last five years and a significant increase in bed capacity with more being built. That kind of number, however, and that experience for each individual who was on a trolley there is not acceptable to the Minister or to the Government.