Call for regional emergency departments to be reopened 

University Hospital Limerick: It has the only emergency department in the midwest region. Picture: Don Moloney

The Regional Health Forum West will discuss overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) next week, with a motion calling for emergency departments in Ennis, Nenagh, and St John's to be reopened.

UHL has the only emergency department (ED) in the midwest region and chronic overcrowding frequently causes delays for patients and is affecting staff morale. Other sites in the same hospital group have injury clinics and medical assessment units but these are not open overnight.