Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail)
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823. To ask the Minister for Health if there is a shortage of general practitioners in Limerick city or the greater Limerick, Clare and Tipperary area that is leading to the constant overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19201/19]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I wish to acknowledge the distress overcrowded Emergency Departments cause to patients, their families and frontline staff working in very challenging working conditions in hospitals throughout the country.

The hospital system is currently operating at close to full capacity. The Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick is one of the busiest in the country, with the number of patients attending growing year on year.

The HSE are currently undertaking a review of performance across all Hospital Groups and Community Health Organisations over the winter period. The HSE advise that this process will include an independent expert review of clinical, analytical and management capability in University Hospital Limerick and CHO Mid West and the other 8 individual focus sites and their relevant CHOs.

In relation to the question about GP services in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, as this is a service matter, I have arranged for the question to be referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy.