Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I became involved in politics while fighting for my local hospital in Nenagh which, in fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, visited recently. I have been involved with the Friends of Nenagh Hospital group ever since. There is a serious overcrowding problem in University Hospital Limerick. There are four hospitals in the mid-west, namely, St. John's Hospital, Ennis General Hospital, Nenagh General Hospital and University Hospital Limerick. The first three are model 2 hospitals. University Hospital Limerick has the highest rate of overcrowding in Ireland. We are facing the worst ever overcrowding crisis. There was record overcrowding in the hospital in November, accounting for 15.5% of the nationwide total. It has had the highest overcrowding rate for 18 months in a row, with 1,071 patients on trolleys in recent months. Rather than Members shouting and roaring that it is a disaster, we should work to address it.

Two of my family members who are in their late 70s and late 80s, respectively, were recently admitted to University Hospital Limerick. It is a nightmare to wonder how they will get on in the light of the level of overcrowding.

In the short term, we need to come up with policies and changes that will work and have an impact because the current situation cannot continue. We must consider the role which could be played by the other hospitals in the mid-west, namely, Nenagh hospital, Ennis hospital and St. John's Hospital. The pathways and protocols for accepting patients need to be widened, as does the smaller hospital framework across the country. The minor injuries units do not have enough scope to deal with the type of injuries with which patients are presenting. In addition, too few patients are being directed to those units, which should have longer opening hours. Different protocols in regard to the type of patients who can attend model 2 hospitals post procedure, before procedure and so on are needed. That will require a better ambulance service and intermediate vehicles - not ambulances - to transport patients who are not at risk but need to be transferred to or from hospital. All of this needs to happen quickly.

There is an anomaly in University Hospital Limerick whereby a 60 bed modular unit has been announced for next year but the funding for the unit has not been allocated. Will the Minister of State clarify if that funding will be allocated? The number of consultants in the mid-west is, pro rata, the lowest in the country, as is the number of staff. Last year, 77,600 patients attended the new state-of-the-art emergency department, which includes a new theatre, in Limerick hospital, an increase of 10,000 attendances over three years. The hospital has the lowest length of stay, bed stock, rate of readmission and number of consultants in the country.

I make no criticism of management of the hospital network in counties Limerick, Tipperary and Clare. They are doing as good a job as they can. I have no criticism of the non-acute side either, which is also doing the best it can. The obvious problem is that University Hospital Limerick is too small and does not have enough staff. That will have to be addressed in the coming years. In the meantime, we need to loosen the terms under which the other hospitals in Nenagh, Ennis and Limerick are operating to allow them to relieve some of the pressure. I am fearful about how people will be treated in University Hospital Limerick over the Christmas and winter period. It does not have enough beds and its emergency department is in crisis to such a degree that I doubt it would pass a fire inspection.

See this speech in context