University Hospital Limerick is health service’s 'greatest nightmare'

University Hospital Limerick has been labelled the health service’s “greatest nightmare” by Mary Lou McDonald.“UHL has consistently been the greatest nightmare in terms of trolley count, the emergency department under pressure and deaths,” she said.

In Budget 2024, the health service was allocated €23.5 billion to spend but Deputy McDonald said the amount was insufficient and the Government has “consciously underfunded health”.“There is a embargo, a failure to recruit at the level that is required, they’ve talked about additional beds.”Deputy McDonald described it as “quite scandalous” that UHL is understaffed and job vacancies are impacting the level of care that is provided to patients.

“Stephen Donnelly and all of the Government need to accept that more beds are required and more staff are required,” she said. “The hospital is understaffed; equally, the healthcare assistants, the hygiene workers, cleaners, catering - you’re short about 270 posts there.“I think it’s most unfair, in fact I think it’s quite scandalous that staff are expected to work under that level of pressure in those conditions by a Government that knows that they’re short staffed and that they’re being short-changed.”

One recent visitor to UHL was Larry, who brought his 88-year-old uncle to UHL after he dislocated his shoulder.“We sat in a chair for about 14 hours to put back his shoulder in at 5.30 in the morning,” Larry said.University Hospital Limerick, 29-7-23. Image: Karlis D / Alamy“There’s not enough staff,” he said.“We had people talking to us, trying to sort out the problem and being called away to a bigger problem.

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