270 people attended the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick(UHL) yesterday – an increase of 23% on the average 2023 patient presentation number of 219. The average daily presentation number for the last seven days is 240. Hospital Management is appealing to the public to consider all available care options before presenting to the Emergency Department (ED). The Irish Nurses and Midwifes Organisation(INMO) reports 150 Patients on Trolleys in UHL today.
The latest available national report shows that in the first three weeks of 2024, presentations to the ED at UHL increased by 28% on last year and emergency admissions by 17%. This trend is more pronounced still among the over 75s with ED presentations having increased by 39% in the first three weeks of the year and emergency admissions by 34%.
The Emergency Department remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most. Anyone who comes to ED who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait according to hospital management.
UHL is currently at its highest state of escalation. Surge capacity has been opened at UHL and across our hospitals. Elective activity is being reviewed on a daily basis across all of our hospitals. UHL management apologises to patients experiencing long waits at what it calls “this time of exceptionally high demand for our services.”
