An Coimisiún Pleanála has granted planning permission for a second 96-bed block at University Hospital Limerick.
It comes in a week when the first of the three planned 96-bed blocks has been opened at the Dooradoyle facility.
Reacting to the news, HSE Mid West Regional Executive Officer Sandra Broderick says “these beds are very welcome additional capacity for the region and contingent on demand remaining static we expect to see a small but consistent reduction in the number of patients experiencing care on a trolley”.
Ms Broderick also says that “on current projections by year end, UHL will have surpassed all previous ED attendance records”.
Full statement from HSE Mid West Regional Executive Officer Sandra Broderick:
We welcome the decision from Coimisiún Pleanála and we look forward to advancing this important capital project, which was sanctioned under the 2024 National Acute Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan. The HSE Mid West is working to ensure these vital additional beds are delivered in line with the timescales already published by the Minister.
The HSE Mid West operates the single busiest Emergency Department in the country, it admits the most number of patients of any hospital in the state and has the lowest number of inpatient beds comparative to the demand for services and on a per capita basis. We anticipate we will remain the busiest acute hospital in the state given our population demographics.
In recent days we have successfully commissioned and opened 96 new beds at University Hospital Limerick. As stated previously, these beds are very welcome additional capacity for the region and contingent on demand remaining static we expect to see a small but consistent reduction in the number of patients experiencing care on a trolley. It should be noted for context, UHL is the only hospital in Ireland to have experienced a further 10% growth in demand for Urgent & Emergency Care in the first 9 months of this year compared to last. On current projections by year end, UHL will have surpassed all previous ED attendance records.
Members of the public across the HSE Mid West area, I am sure, will join me in taking this opportunity to sincerely thank staff to their ongoing commitment and dedication despite the well pronounced challenges with capacity constraints.
With the autumn and winter period now well upon us, I would encourage members of the public to consider all healthcare options available to them including local pharmacies for minor ailments; out of hours GP services and our Injury Units which are open 8am to 8pm at Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals. Overall patient experience times average less than two hours at these facilities.