HSE told of prosecution risk over fire safety at UHL

The HSE has been warned by fire authorities in Limerick that it could face legal proceedings if it continues to compromise patient safety by excessive emergency department overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

The hospital’s fire safety risk assessment threshold requires there be no more than 44 patients in its emergency department at any one time. The HSE said the assistant chief fire officer for Limerick inspected the emergency department on October 23, 2016, and “expressed concerns about levels of overcrowding in the emergency department”.

It said the emergency department was “extremely busy” at the time “with attendances of approximately 162 patients”.