A new report has recommended significant investment in inpatient and day beds to meet current and future demand at the UL Hospitals Group including Nenagh Hospital.
UHL in Limerick has faced significant problems with overcrowding in recent years with 76,473 attendances in ED in 2021, a record number in a single year.
North Tipp Councillor Seamie Morris was among many elected representatives to express their concern at the constant overcrowding of the Emergency Department and the hospital in general. He called on the Chief Fire Officer in Limerick to carry out a safety audit of the facility.
The Deloitte UL Hospitals Group Patient Flow Report has recommended increases in medical, nursing and allied health staff at University Hospital Limerick and across the group of six hospitals including Nenagh.
The report was commissioned by CEO of the UL Hospital Group Professor Colette Cowan in March of this year.
Among the key recommendations are the need for an additional 302 inpatient beds by 2036 to meet current unmet demand, future demand and to replace outdated infrastructure in multi-occupancy nightingale wards.
An additional 63 day beds are also needed by 2036 while additional medical and nursing staff in the Emergency Department are said to be an immediate priority
Additional medical staff are required to extend the operating hours of the Acute Medical Unit at UHL.
Professor Cowan said it is important that she recognise the additional support they have received from government and the HSE, with the addition of 98 new inpatient beds at UHL since the start of the pandemic and over 900 additional staff so far this year.
Work is to commence next month on a new 96-bed block for UHL.
