The UL Hospital Group is being urged to accept that the reconfiguration plan for the mid-west has been a failure.
North Tipp Councillor Seamie Morris says the Medical Assessment Unit in Nenagh had reached capacity by 11 o’clock one day last week.
The Nenagh Independent told Tipp FM that the alternative to reopening the 24 hour A&E at Nenagh, Ennis and St John’s hospitals is simply not working.
He says the MAU’s are not capable of providing sufficient cover.
“They had their full commitment of five to eight people already by 11 o’clock in the morning so the ambulance had to take someone into Limerick.
“People are misreading the news that’s been sent out there and actually they’re attending the small injury unit in Nenagh with complex issues and ambulances are having to be called to the small injury unit to take people into Limerick and also our ambulances are ending up in places like Tralee which happened again last week.”
Councillor Morris says the increased number of deaths being reported across the country is in part down to hospital overcrowding.
“The solution is stop the messing – admit that the reconfiguration was a disaster – and reopen Nenagh, St Johns and Ennis 24 hour A&E’s and stop sending people into Limerick. It is adding to the amount of deaths that we are seeing spiral out of control in the country at the moment.”
