A major new initiative is to be put in place to deal with chronic overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick and the knock on effects this has in Nenagh hospital according to Tipperary TD Michael Lowry.
As part of a management solution, it is now proposed that the vacant new 50-bed Community Care Centre at Nenagh be brought into use as early as possible to ease congestion at UHL.
The unit was purpose built for use for residents in St Conlon’s and those needing long term residential care.
Deputy Lowry says the new plan is that the new Unit at Nenagh would instead be used on a temporary basis as a step-down, convalescent rehab centre.
It is intended that a private health care provider would staff and manage the unit under the auspices of the HSE for the duration of an 18/24 month contract.
This would allow for the daycare surgery unit at Nenagh to resume normal functions without interruptions to activity and the resultant inconveniences and stress to patients on waiting lists for a variety of surgical procedures.
There will also be a reconfiguration of the new 96-bed unit at UHL with significant changes to the day-to-day operational and case management of patients in an effort to ease the crisis at UHL.
Tipperary TD Michael Lowry acknowledges that the plan will delay the transfer of St. Conlon’s patients to the new purpose-built unit.
Tipp Mid West Radio sought confirmation of the plan from the University of Limerick Hospital Group on Friday March 8th and in a statement issued yesterday UHL says “We have no comment to make.”
Confirmation and details has also been sought from the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, the Department of Health and CEO of the HSE Bernard Gloster.
