by Bernie English 
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HOSPITAL management at the University Hodpital in Limerick had to put an action plan in place this week as the numbers of patients waiting for admission on trolleys and in wards rocketed.
The flu virus was one of the factors being blamed for the huge surge which saw a record 54 patients awaiting in-patient beds on one day this week.
In a statement, a HSE spokeswoman said that the Emergency Department at the hospital had seen an increase in emergency presentations in previous days, which resulted in long delays for patients.
“Amongst the key factors contributing to the increase in pressure within the ED is the increase of the flu virus and the older age profile of patients presenting along with the complexity of issues they have. As a result, we are experiencing delays in discharging older patients home or to other appropriate settings,” the statement said.
Hospital management apologised to any patient who had been waiting and reminded patients that the ED should be for emergencies only and injuries such as suspected broken bones or sprains in patients over the age of five can be treated at local injury clinics in John’s, Ennis and Nenagh.
