The Health Minister says that capacity in hospitals and community healthcare needs to be expanded to meet increasing admissions.
During a visit to Nenagh yesterday, Stephen Donnelly was asked by Tipp FM about what’s being done to solve the overcrowding issues at University Hospital Limerick.
The hospital is regularly top of the INMO Trolley watch figures, and cancelled all elective work and outpatient clinics for three days this week to ease pressure.
Minister Donnelly says that increasing capacity in and out of hospital is the answer.
“There are people who haven’t had the care that they would normally get – they have got sicker and they are now presenting to UHL and to other places.”
“They’re staying in hospital longer – they are being taken care of, of course as you would expect – but it has created this extra pressure.””
“I’ve been speaking with the HSE about it. I’ve had detailed conversations with the hospital group. They’re very aware of it, they’re very focused on it.”
“We know what the answers are – the answers are to expand capacity and make sure not only do we have capacity in the hospitals but just as important that we have capacity after the hospital.”
