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Limerick hospital defers most elective activity due to Covid and 'surge' in ED presentations

A record 100 patients were on trolleys in corridors today in the hospital’s Emergency Department and on general wards.

THE COUNTRY’S MOST overcrowded hospital, University Hospital Limerick, tonight announced a deferral of almost all elective activity as it attempted to manage “a sustained surge in emergency presentations and a significant increase in Covid-19 activity”.

A record 100 patients were on trolleys in corridors today in the hospital’s Emergency Department and on general wards, according to a patient headcount published by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

According to the HSE there were no general beds available at the Limerick hospital, a situation replicated in 14 other hospitals today.

There were two beds available in UHL’s Intensive Care Unit where six Covid-19 patients were being treated.

  • Our colleagues at Noteworthy want to investigate why overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick is still so acute. Support this project here.

A spokesman for UHL said the hospital had “moved to its highest level of escalation, meaning emergency and time-critical care for the sickest patients is being prioritised”.

Outpatient appointments, elective surgery and diagnostic investigations, have been “deferred until further notice”, and “affected patients will be contacted as soon as possible to reschedule their appointments and procedures,” he said.

A visiting ban remains in place at UHL which was treating 89 Covid positive patients, however visits of one person per patient were being facilitated for parents visiting children, for people assisting confused patients and for people visiting on compassionate grounds such as for patients who are critically unwell or at end of life.

Other hospital services in the region remained “largely unaffected” and scheduled care was operating as normal at Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and St John’s Hospital.

While the region’s only 24-hour Emergency Department, based out of UHL, remained open for emergency cases and emergency and trauma surgery, the Limerick hospital urged people “to first consider the care options that are available in their own communities, including family doctors, out-of-hours GP services, local pharmacies and local injury clinics”.

A limited number of scheduled care appointments were still going ahead including cancer Services, dialysis, cardiology, nurse-led outpatient clinic, dermatology outpatients, OPAT (outpatient therapy) and paediatric outpatient clinics.

Public health officials today reported 7,729 new PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.

In addition, 14,060 more people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal.

As of 8am today, 1,395 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised, of whom 55 are in ICU.

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said today that a new group to replace NPHET is “imminent” 

The Tánaiste said that there would be repeated waves and spikes in infections and said the Government does not want to re-impose restrictions.

“We’re going to have more waves of this over the next couple of months and next couple of years. And we don’t want to be turning on and off restrictions. We do need to live with this virus,” Varadkar said today.

Additional reporting by Orla Dwyer. 

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    Mute Muckser Maher
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:37 PM

    Ffs sort out this health mess. Every bleeding year. Billions going in and more problems coming out. Incompetence of the highest order.

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    Mute Brendan Gordon
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 11:39 PM

    @Muckser Maher: not incompetence, corruption and lack of accountability at the highest levels. Governments ensuring a slice of the market for the private sector, and the HSE higher ups concerned only with their career paths while free to fail their way up the ladder. Anyone qualified or capable passed over in favour of those who won’t rock the boat, desire for improvement is a toxic trait in public health.

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    Mute
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 11:49 PM

    @Muckser Maher: I personally know of cases of people presenting at a hospital coughing and presenting with symptoms of covid but because they can’t get a PCR test date that suit they go to ED. I have heard anecdotally of cases where people have covid on antigen tests but continue to work collect kids do shopping and I personally know a neighbour his wife had covid last week she took the week off work he continued to work as a taxi driver the wife wasn’t separated/isolated in the house and he’s barking like a dog and still working. Unfortunately covid has picketed this town.

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    Mute Mike Fahey
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:58 PM

    UHL Limerick is always in the news for overcrowding. It’s a disgrace of a service. I’ve been in there and the overcrowding is insane – all brushed under the carpet when a politician visits – patients hidden etc

    If this was France or somewhere similar, there would be riots outside in protest.

    Can’t understand why everyone (politicians included) can’t arrive at a solution – ultimately we’ll all likely end up in hospital at some point. It’s in everyone’s interest to improve it.

    179
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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Mar 24th 2022, 7:13 AM

    @Mike Fahey: completely agree. UHL is a good hospital but unfortunately not fit for purpose anymore. Far far too busy and overcrowded

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    Mute Ken Curran
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    Mar 25th 2022, 5:53 PM

    @Mike Fahey: Sack the CEO. If they cannot or will not delegate responsibility to sort out the mess then dismiss him/her for incompetence. They wouldn’t last 10 minutes in the real world or private industry.

    Appoint a successful business person to run the hospital with a small team of doctors and nurses. Get rid of the deadwood pen pushers, the suits who walk around the place with clipboards trying to look important and those sitting on their rearends doing the least amount possible.

    Give full-time contracts to doctors so they can get mortgages and settle in the area. That will resolve the issue of there not being enough doctors.

    If the hospital was a business the CEO would have resigned or else they have been fired by now.

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 11:11 PM

    This is not indicative of covid. This hospital along with others have been under pressure for years.This is down to the appalling mismanagement by H.S.E and numerous inept health ministers, of which Micheal Martin was one, who keep turning a blind eye while pumping millions into this money pit. Unless someone has the Liathróidí to take on the mantle of restructuring the H.S.E, getting rid of the useless dead wood, of which there are many, and working constructively with unions nothing will ever change. Prior to covid there were over 800000 on waiting lists waiting to see consultants. what were the excuses then, how many died needlessly, how many will die unnecessarily due to late diagnosis. You seriously have to be within this system to see how badly run it is. The cyber attack was another example outdated systems.Those at the higher echelons don’t give a damn its a means to a big wage and an even bigger pension. How long can this Government keep ignoring the fact the health service is in dire straits and disintegrating more and more each day.

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    Mute Gavin Linden
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:53 PM

    So the hierarchy of Illness returns with covid slipping into the number one slot again.
    Away off with yer cancers, heart complaints and other such minor ailments. Come back to us when you contract covid and we’ll sail you right in…..

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    Mute Gavin Linden
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    Mar 24th 2022, 12:45 AM

    @Fiona O’ Dwyer: Which Fiona, my comment or the reality of what is happening to many many people with serious ailment that have been almost ignored for the past two years?
    I hope any future reviews in to this countries handling of the covid pandemic delve very deeply in to the disgraceful non treatment of life threatening illness for many people.

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Mar 24th 2022, 1:24 PM

    @Gavin Linden: You don’t see the risks with bringing cancer patients into a hospital that has a Covid outbreak? This isn’t about a hierarchy of illnesses, this is about protecting vulnerable patients.

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    Mute James Reardon
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:33 PM

    Just a poorly run health service. Pre covid you’d always hear a bug was going round in UHL or the flu during winter months. It’s ridiculous.

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    Mute Munster1
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:27 PM

    Fine Gael/ Fine Fail must be embarrassed when then read such things. University hospital is so busy because of their strategy. God help them if people of sense remove them of power. They will h*ag like branches

    59
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    Mute Daniel O'Connor
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    Mar 23rd 2022, 10:37 PM

    A surge in Erectile Dysfunction presentation? It’s not hard to see how that happened

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    Mute Eric Nelligan
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    Mar 24th 2022, 11:58 AM
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    Mute Ronan Castled
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    Mar 24th 2022, 1:03 PM

    So much erectile disfunction in Limerick, that’s the bigger issue

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