Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick City, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising what is a significant issue for the people of Limerick and the mid-west and for all of us who represent them in the Oireachtas. I welcome the opportunity to address the issues in the HIQA report. As the Deputy is aware, in February, HIQA inspected University Hospital Limerick against the national standards for safer and better healthcare. The inspection assessed compliance with 11 national standards. The inspection team visited several clinical areas throughout the hospital, including the emergency department, the trauma ward, and the acute medical unit.

While more has to be done, there have been some improvements. A geriatric medical unit has been established in the emergency department for those aged over 75 years. There has been recruitment of additional staff, including two emergency department consultants, bringing the complement to 11, and 20 non-consultant hospital doctors. There has also been recruiting for nursing and other areas. A total of €6 million has been provided to deal with issues raised in the previous HIQA report. Many of the initiatives have been in place only since January. There have been some improvements and HIQA would like to see a lot more.

We have seen the time patients are in the emergency department decrease by approximately an hour but it is still way off what we would like to see. The report stated the fundamental issue is capacity. This is borne out by the fact the acute medical unit and the acute surgical assessment unit were re-established. What the report states is they have not worked to date. A total of 55% in the acute medical unit were waiting for an inpatient bed, as were 25% of those in the acute surgical assessment unit. More particularly, 24% of those presenting to the emergency department will be admitted to inpatient beds but 45% of those in the emergency department were awaiting admission.

A total of 40% of people in the ED are awaiting admission, which shows the capacity constraints. We have looked to address that, as the Deputy will be aware. The 60-bed modular block has been built and a further 38 beds went in during Covid, bringing the total to 98. A 96-bed block is under construction and is expected to be in operation in early 2025 and a further 96 beds on top of that second block are being advanced. The Minister has given approval for UL to advance the design of that project alongside the existing 96-bed block. Between them, that is nearly 200 beds, which will make a huge difference.

The HSE, in conjunction with UHL, has developed a compliance plan and makes reference to a number of aspects within it. In the acute medical unit in Nenagh, there will be a doubling of the beds, from six to 12, bringing the overall figure from 32 to 38 between the hospitals in Ennis, Nenagh and St. John's, at 18, 12 and eight, respectively. An acute medical assessment unit will have been relocated alongside the ED by October, and there has been a request for a review of the acute surgical assessment unit by the same month.

The Deputy spoke about compliance. That comes down to the compassion and kindness of the staff for patients, and HIQA was glowing in that regard in its review. It is going to review the space, with a view to providing an additional 16 nurses and a further five-----

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