Building second hospital with emergency department to tackle trolley crises at UHL would take too long, warns major report

"The long-awaited investigation from the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into how to reduce overcrowding in the hospital presents three options, but it is least in favour of a new hospital with another emergency department which will disappoint local campaigners. It found the Mid West has the lowest number of inpatient beds relative to the number of people who attend the emergency department and it also has the highest number of emergency attendances of any major hospital."

"The key problem is that there are not enough inpatient beds in the Mid West to meet current demand for those patients requiring admission through the emergency department who present with more serious or complex care needs, or those who need a diagnosis, the report said. In its advice to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, Hiqa proposes three options including the expansion of capacity at University Hospital Limerick on the Dooradoyle site."

Overcrowding in the Mid West results from a gap between demand and capacity across the hospital and HSE Mid West, creating a persistent risk to patient safety until addressed. The Mid West has the lowest ratio of inpatient beds to emergency department attendances and the highest number of emergency attendances among major hospitals. A shortage of inpatient beds prevents admission of patients with serious or complex needs and those needing diagnosis. Hiqa proposes three options: expand capacity at University Hospital Limerick Dooradoyle; extend the campus to a nearby second site under shared governance without adding another emergency department; or develop a Model 3 hospital with a second emergency department.

Read at Irish Independent