MANAGEMENT at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) announced that elective surgery across all sites – University Hospital Limerick, St John’s, Ennis, Nenagh, and Croom Orthopaedic hospitals – will resume in full from this Thursday morning.
Elective surgery was cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at UHL, after the peak surge capacity protocol was triggered on account of massive hospital overcrowding.
There were 143 admitted patients waiting for an in hospital bed on Monday, 115 on Tuesday, and 99 on Wednesday.
A statement on behalf of the hospital said that “postponement of scheduled elective activity is a decision of last resort that no hospital manager wishes to make, and UL Hospitals Group regrets the impact on any patients who have been impacted by deferrals this week. We will work to ensure these appointments are rescheduled at the earliest opportunity”.
Explaining why surgery was cancelled, UHL said it is “currently experiencing extremely high demand and we are appealing to the public to consider all care options before presenting at our emergency department”.
“We have been caring for an exceptionally high number of unwell medical patients in the hospital, and the emergency department has seen its highest week of emergency presentations since the beginning of the year.”
The statement said that the Dooyadoyle hospital “is currently at its highest state of escalation” adding that “only urgent and time-critical patients, including cancer patients” were going ahead over the two days.
