The Health Minister says she is well aware of the overcrowding situation in UHL and putting trolleys out of sight during her recent visit to the hospital doesn’t hide the problem.
Staff at University Hospital Limerick were seen moving patients left without a bed while Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill toured the facility
Speaking to Tipp FM News at TUH in Clonmel the Minister said she has no problem with making unannounced visits to see first-hand the overcrowding problems.
“There’s no question and I mean the trolley numbers weren’t brilliant that day either – they have been better since.
“I have visited hospitals in a scheduled way which I think is appropriate because I get to meet the management team and I get to hear very directly. But I’ve also visited quite a number of hospitals at different times of the day and different times of the weekend that I imagine are decidedly inconvenient for management – so I am liable to do both at any given time.”
The Health Minister complimented management and staff at Tipperary University Hospital for the way they have tackled the overcrowding issue at the Clonmel centre.
There were 13 patients without a bed at TUH when the Minister was there yesterday to officially open the 33 bed Slievenamon Unit.
Minister Carroll MacNeill told Tipp FM News that she can and will check out hospitals whenever she wants.
“I went to Mayo on the busiest possible day after the Bank Holiday then I went to other hospitals on my way home from the St Patrick’s Day trip at 5 or 6 in the morning on the way back from the airport.
“So I’m liable to do whatever I want to do.”
