THE TAOISEACH has told the Dáil that he will look at the possibility of buying the Barrington’s hospital site in Limerick as a means of stemming the tide of hospital overcrowding across the region.
Taoiseach Simon Harris admitted that, even with increased staffing, there are “serious issues” to be tackled at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) and the way it operates.
Mr Harris told the Dáil that the emergency department (ED) at UHL and other EDs are exempt from the recruitment ban in place across the rest of the heath service.
The Taoiseach was replying to Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall, who requested that the former Barrington’s site, which went on sale this week for €12.5m, should be acquired by the State.
She said UHL was the most overcrowded hospital in the country, making it “unsafe”.
The Dáil discussion came just days after a new crack team were landed in UHL to work with the hospital on solving its serious issues.
Last week, one of UHL’s own emergency consultants, giving evidence at the inquest into the death of 16-year-old Shannon schoolgirl Aoife Johnston, described the department as “a death trap”.
In reply, the Taoiseach said he would examine the Barrington’s site and revert to Ms Shortall.
He said a new block should open next year which would have 71 additional beds and 25 beds replacing those on other wards.
Deputy Shortall said matters could be improved if another hospital, part of the UL Hospitals Group, was given the designation of Model 3 hospital, which would mean it could do some emergency department work.
The new team sent to UHL will begin its work “immediately and over the next four weeks to help devise a number of actions designed in particular to ease overcrowding and pressures in the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick,” the HSE said.
Mr Harris said that while he had significant concerns about the hospital in Limerick, he hoped good practices could now be embedded there.
