LIMERICK Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan says that Health Minister Stephen Donnelly’s Hospitals Winter Plan has come too late to make a difference for Limerick people affected by the health crisis.
Criticising the government’s slow and short term approach to running the health service, he said that the crisis in the system cannot be solved through short term, one-year plans.
“The winter plan announced last week will be cold comfort for healthcare workers on the frontline at University Hospital Limerick who are bracing for another horrendous winter. They know that October is far too late to start planning for winter.
“The time to plan for this winter was last year’s budget, and now is the time to plan for next winter. The winter plan also fails to recognise that hospitals such as UHL are in crisis year-round, not only during winter,” Deputy Quinlivan explained.
“There is no additional funding for this plan, and there is no lead-in time to get new measures up and running. The many long-term problems cannot be solved by throwing short term one-year plans at them. There continues to be a trolley crisis at the hospital with more people treated on trollies and in hospital corridors so far this year than were in the entirety of 2021”
“The crisis at UHL has been allowed to continue for far too long on this government’s watch. I am very concerned that the crisis will worsen as this plan fails to put in place the proper planning and funding needed to support the health system in Limerick.
“The Minister relies far too heavily on outsourcing to the private sector instead of increased investment in the public service,” he added.
“The Winter Plan will do nothing for the thousands of children with disabilities or mental health challenges who are languishing on months-long waiting lists across Limerick for access to services.
“It is a short-term plan for acute hospitals which pales in comparison to the investments and reforms necessary across acute, community, and primary care which are needed to reduce pressure on the health service during the winter and year-round.
“Sinn Féin in government would stand up for patients and staff at UHL and ensure that the health service in Limerick gets the funding and resources needed to ensure people can access timely, high-quality care,” Deputy Quinlivan declared.
