Units should have treated over 80% of A&E patients

Up to 83% of patients who came to the overburdened Emergency Department of University Hospital Limerick on one day last month could have been more appropriately seen at various assessment units within the four-hospital UHL Group, a study has found.

The study was carried out on September 11 when 171 people were seen at the hospital’s ED department at UHL in Dooradoyle.

Prof Paul Finucane, chief academic officer, ULH Group said: “We looked at patients admitted over a 24-hour period on that day. We had 171 patients who came to the ED over that period. Of those we estimated that 17% need to be in the ED and the other 83% in theory could have been sorted out elsewhere if the facilities were available.