Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to put on the record that no disrespect intended to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell. I will be writing to the Ceann Comhairle again. We should have received notification that neither the Minister nor a Minister of State from the Department of Health would be here. This is the second time in a row this has happened to me.

As the Minister of State is aware, on Friday, 23 June, HIQA published its report of an unannounced inspection that took place at University Hospital Limerick on 21 and 22 February. Its previous report, following a visit on 15 March 2020, was damning. Of the four major categories, that report found the hospital to be partially compliant in one category and non-compliant in three. Last week's report is an improvement but things could not have been any worse. Some actions have been taken to address the failings found in the June 2020 report but the report is of concern with regard to patient safety and dignity. In the 15 subcategories listed in last week's report, University Hospital Limerick was found to be fully compliant in only one area, substantially compliant in seven areas, partially compliant in five areas and, worryingly, non-compliant in two areas.

One of the positive aspects of the report is with regard to the staff at UHL. The patients spoken to by HIQA were extremely complimentary about the staff. I thank the staff for the incredible work they do, often in a difficult environment. For those who have relatives, friends and families attending the hospital, the feedback will come as no surprise. In the main the staff are professional, courteous and kind, and this is no easy accomplishment when we consider the overcrowded working conditions in which they operate. The challenges facing UHL staff was noticed by the patients, who remarked to the report authors that there were not enough staff and the staff were overworked. The staff can do only so much. There are not enough of them to cope with demand in the hospital. The hospital remains significantly short of non-consultant hospital doctors, with the University Limerick Hospitals Group acknowledging that a further 68 are needed.

The HIQA report found that on 21 February the emergency department was over capacity by three times the recommended number of patients who can be assessed safely. By 11 a.m. on that day there were 121 patients in the emergency department, which has an intended capacity of 49 people. An additional 72 people were being accommodated on trolleys and chairs. While this is no surprise to many, it is an atrocious situation to have an emergency department operating at 153% of its safe capacity. The day of inspection, 21 February, was a Tuesday and not a Saturday or Sunday when a large influx of presentations might be anticipated. The HIQA report found that on the day of inspection, 60% of attendees in the emergency department were still there after six hours, 48% were there after nine hours and 20% were there after 24 hours. At 11 a.m. on the day of infection, the hospital was not compliant with any of the national key performance indicators set up by the HSE for emergency departments.

The report went on to note, as I have highlighted many times in the Chamber, that the persistent overcrowding is not only an affront to patient dignity but is dangerous and places challenges on staff in ensuring the cleanliness of clinical areas in the hospital, the separation of patients and limiting the spread of infection. Overcrowding at the hospital is not a new phenomenon. The hospital has operated an emergency protocol every day this year apart from two days. As the INMO stated in response to the report, we need to see a laser-like focus from the Government and the HSE on tackling the overcrowding crisis once and for all. Can we expect a response from the Minister for Health whenever he turns up?

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