20 additional beds are to be opened in St. John’s Hospital in Limerick to address the hospital overcrowding problem in the Limerick region.
In response to a Parliamentary Question in the Dáil today, Limerick Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan was told that the beds will be re-opened at St. John’s in the coming weeks.
“I welcome this move by the HSE, as it will begin to help the chronic overcrowding that University Hospital Limerick is now experiencing on a daily basis.
“12 of the beds are to open on Monday, October 30 and the remaining eight will open as soon as the required staff are hired and in place, which, given the severity of the situation in Limerick hospitals, should be as soon as possible,” he said.
“I have been constantly advocating for additional beds and staff for Limerick hospitals to help address the crisis, and I am glad some action is now being taken.
“Having 902 patients on trolleys in UHL in September was totally unacceptable. Today there are currently 48 people lying on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick, the highest anywhere in the state,” Deputy Quinlivan added.
“Although this announcement of 20 extra beds in welcome, it is not even enough to match the current overcrowding levels, let alone the meet the demand winter will put on our hospitals.
“Funding must be put in place to progress the building of the 96 bed block for University Hospital Limerick to ensure patient safety and comfort and to meet the demand of our growing population,” he concluded.
