Professor Colette Cowan said inpatient bed capacity University Hospital Limerick is 530, whereas in 2009 it was recommended the hospital be given 642 acute beds. Picture: Dan Linehan

The CEO of the UL Hospital Group has made a plea for an elective hospital in Limerick to help address the overcrowding crisis.

Senior officials and doctors addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday, with the session focused on improvements following a scathing report from health watchdog Hiqa in June. Inspectors on that day found one person waiting 116 hours on a trolley for a hospital bed.

Professor Colette Cowan first said: "I apologise for the distress and the lack of dignity and privacy experienced by far too many patients seeking to access care in UHL over several years and in particular over the last 18 months." 

In describing changes over the last six weeks, she said an ongoing problem is the hospital does not have enough beds to meet demand.

“It is our view that there should be an elective hospital in the Mid-West region,” she said. “That is a government decision.” 

In 2009, she said it was recommended University Hospital Limerick (UHL) be given 642 acute beds.

“Today, our inpatient bed capacity is 530, far short of the recommendation and making no allowance for the increase in and rapid ageing of our population in the intervening 13 years,” Prof. Cowan said.

In defending the hospital, she also pointed to a steep increase in patient admissions, including an increase of 20% in inpatient admissions since 2019. She told the committee the hospital faces staffing challenges, despite hiring 900 people this year and over 1,200 last year.

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The hospital group is short 38 consultants for approved posts, and at least 68 non-consultant hospital doctors, formerly known as junior doctors. Nurse recruitment continues, but has been hit by retirements of senior staff, she said, and by younger staff seeking to work abroad now that the lockdowns have lifted.

The committee also heard, however, that trolley numbers have decreased over the past six weeks, as the hospital works with a HSE Performance Management Improvement Unit (PIMU).

Prof. Brian Lenehan, Chief Clinical Director at UL Hospital Group, said there is a “sustained improvement”. He linked this to new funding allowing for more triage nurses in the emergency department and more discharge coordinators to help patients find rehab beds or nursing home places.

Older people are being treated by a specialist unit within the ED and the Integrated Care Programme for Older Persons has taken over 600 referrals so far. Ms Cowan also said attendances are growing at medical assessment units in Ennis (63% increase since 2019) and St Johns (47% increase), as well as at the injury unit in Nenagh hospital.

Many TDs and Senators attending were from the Mid-West region and shared distressing stories from constituents and in some cases their own families. Fine Gael TD Kieran O’ Donnell said on Tuesday he had to phone the hospital on behalf of an elderly man who had been two days on a trolley to that point, and he indicated this is a regular event.

Sinn Féin's Maurice Quinlivan said he is aware of three cases where an elderly patient with dementia fled the hospital without staff being aware.

Senator Maria Byrne queried the lack of access to blood tests at weekends, and also said she is aware of people waiting eight to 10 weeks to have certain types of scans read.

Read MoreHospital EDs 'operating beyond safe limits' with situation likely to worsen during winter months

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