Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the important issue of the challenges arising in University Hospital Limerick and, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Harris, I welcome the opportunity to address the House on this issue.

The emergency department in University Hospital Limerick, UHL, is one of the busiest in the country, with approximately 67,000 attendances annually. Demand for emergency department services at the hospital continues to rise with an increase of 6% in attendances at the emergency department at UHL in 2017 compared with 2016. I acknowledge the distress overcrowded emergency departments cause to patients, their families and front-line staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country. Behind every trolley number there is a patient in need of effective, timely and compassionate care from the health service. That is why the Government is committed to breaking the cycle of overcrowding in the health service. As emergency department attendances continue to rise, those departments are under increasing pressure to meet the new level of demand and ensure the provision of timely, safe and effective care for patients. A considerable number of patients presenting to the emergency departments are frail or acute patients who often require admission.

With regard to the claim that some patients are not being fed, the University Limerick, UL, hospital group has advised that except for one catering attendant who is currently on leave there is a full catering staff complement. UL hospital group has advised that it is managing this deficit from its relief pool. At times there may be unscheduled sick leave that could create pressures on the service but full catering is available to all patients who are not fasting due to medical reasons.

As regards patient experience, the House will be aware that overcrowding at the UHL emergency department has been a concern for some time. The emergency department is frequently working above capacity using the full capacity protocol and this contributes to inefficient ways of working and poor patient experience. In recognition of this high demand, funding of €24 million was provided for the new emergency department at UHL, which opened in May last year. The new facility is triple the size of the old emergency department and immeasurably improves the experience of patients in terms of their comfort, privacy and dignity. Furthermore, against a background of increasing demand for unscheduled care services, an extra €30 million was made available nationally to respond to winter pressures in 2017, with a further €40 million being provided in 2018.

To conclude, the UL hospital group has assured me that full catering is available to all patients who are not fasting due to medical reasons. Regarding the overcrowding, I am acutely aware of the current situation and I am monitoring it closely. The Department, the HSE and UL hospital group are carrying out measures to improve the situation.

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