UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LIMERICK has experienced record levels of overcrowding with surgeries cancelled at Ennis Hospital on Wednesday as a result.
On Monday, there were 130 patients waiting for admission to a bed at UHL according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), the highest number recorded there on a single day.
INMO Assistant Director for Industrial Relations Mary Fogarty said that the record figure comes as no surprise to its members as they have been working in overcrowded and understaffed wards with no reprieve for years.
It emerged on Wednesday that day-surgeries had been cancelled at Ennis Hospital and St John’s Hospital, because of the overcrowding in Limerick. An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (FG) has committed to visit Ennis Hospital to assess potential solutions.
Speaking in the Dáil, Clare TD, Michael McNamara (IND) described the situation in UHL as “a mess”. He stated, “this morning day surgeries were cancelled in Ennis, no patients arrived but it does appear that nobody told the surgical team that, the urological surgery team, the anaesthetists and the nurses all waiting for patients but none arrived, it seems to me an incredibly bad use of scarce resources. It is not unique unfortunately, we remember during the COVID pandemic that Ennis had a lot more cancellations to services than either Nenagh, St John’s or UHL, Limerick may not be surprising but the others should be on a par with Ennis”.
Scariff native McNamara acknowledged that the Taoiseach had visited UHL unlike his predecessor, Micheál Martin (FF). “You do have an interest in the matter, I will give you that but an interest isn’t enough, will you come to Ennis and see the solutions that it offers in terms of the short-term by increasing the local injury unit capacity, the medical assessment unit capacity and in the longer term increasing capacity to day surgeries”. He added, “More importantly make sure Ennis is adequately utilised and not disregarded to the fashion it is today”.
Taoiseach Varadkar admitted, “I don’t know what exactly happened in Ennis today and why surgery was cancelled and why surgical team weren’t informed, they would usually be the first to know in my experience in the health service but that may not always be the case, I definitely agree that part of the solution to the problems we experience at University Hospital Limerick is greater use in Ennis and Nenagh, that is happening to an extent but not to the extent that I would like to see being the case, I do look forward to visiting Ennis Hospital again as soon as I can”.
Speaking to The Clare Echo this week, Deputy McNamara remarked, “People are afraid to go to University Hospital Limerick (UHL). Lives will be lost because of the fear but, equally, lives will be lost because that fear is justified. While celebrating being republicans this government has perpetuated huge disparity in healthcare across Ireland”.
A spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group confirmed to The Clare Echo that elective surgeries were postponed at Ennis Hospital and other sites as it continues “to manage a significant level of demand for emergency care as widely reported over recent days. In line with the Group’s Escalation Framework, all elective lists at Ennis with the exception of Endoscopy are postponed. In addition, there have been some elective curtailments at St John’s Hospital and activity is also reduced at UHL with the exception of cancer and emergency theatre lists.
“In light of the continued high demand for emergency care, scheduled activity across all our sites is being continuously reviewed in line with our Escalation Framework. All patients impacted by cancellations are being contacted directly by our staff. We are sorry to those patients who are impacted by cancellation of a surgical appointment, especially those who have already been waiting for a long time. We will endeavour to re-schedule all cancelled appointments at the earliest possible opportunity. As our teams work to manage attendances for unscheduled care at our Emergency Department—which yesterday totalled 233, following 229 (Monday) and 225 (Sunday)—our teams are working hard to ensure patient flow within and across our hospitals, and it’s hoped that we will be able to restore our scheduled care services to full capacity as soon as possible”.
On the communication surrounding the cancellation of surgeries, the spokesperson stated, “The decision to postpone elective surgeries in Ennis today, Wednesday, was communicated to all the Ennis-based theatre staff yesterday evening. Regrettably, the decision was not communicated to one member of the surgical team, who attended, and this matter is being rectified”.
Criticism of the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly (FF) and CEO of UL Hospitals Group, Colette Cowan was voiced by Violet-Anne Wynne (IND). “The people of the Mid-West are dying at the feet of this government minister, and nothing is being done,” she remarked.
Deputy Wynne claimed the Health Minister had lost the confidence of staff in UHL and of the student doctors and nurses “who can’t get their visas for Australia quick enough”. She added, “I have begged you to take action and reinstate Ennis A&E and now Minister, I am demanding that you heed both my calls and those of the INMO and direct the HSE to outsource all elective procedures due to take place at UHL for the foreseeable future to private hospitals in view of the potential for a high risk event due to severe overcrowding and a surge in infection. Every single day that this Government sits on its hands and refuses to take action at UHL, it has blood on those hands – you Minister, and the Taoiseach and your colleagues have blood on your hands”.
