‘Threat to patient safety’ at Limerick hospital

Appalling conditions at the emergency department of a major hospital are threatening patient safety, increasing risk of infection and compromising cleanliness, a damning watchdog report has found.

A lengthy investigation into University Hospital Limerick (UHL) — previously known as the Mid-Western Regional Hospital — has attacked delays in medical care and branded conditions as unacceptable.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa), which is charged with overseeing standards throughout the health service, said the overcrowded emergency department was “unfit for purpose” and was negatively impacting on the dignity of patients.