New 96 Bed Block at UHL as of February 2025 – Photo Credit Catherine Fogarty
Tipperary North TD Alan Kelly is expressing frustration at the slow decision making as regards the provision of an additional Emergency Department(ED) in at least a Model 3 hospital for the Mid-West Region.
The Minister for Health Jennifer Carrol MacNeill confirms that the current HIQA Review into the need for and possible location of such a facility will submit an interim report this month and it’s final report in May of this year. Deputy Kelly says the Government needs to act immediately on receipt of the report given the deficits in such facilities especially compared to other health regions. The Mid West is alone in not having a Model 3 hospital. University Hospital Limerick(UHL) is a Model 4 status and Ennis, St Johns and Nenagh are model 2 hospitals that do not have Emergency Departments. Deputy Kelly says population data would support the provision of two such new hospitals in the Mid-West.
Minister MacNeill also confirms that the new 96 bed block nearing completion at UHL will be in use by Summer and that a second new rapid build 16 bed unit is also to be delivered this year at UHL. A second 96 bed block has been approved for UHL but this project does not have planning permission as of now. An additional 84 inpatient beds are also planned at UHL through the Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan according to the Ministers written response to a Parliamentary Question submitted by Deputy Kelly. UHL is typically the most overcrowded of all 32 public hospitals with 104 admitted patients on trolleys today(Feb12th).
