Construction to begin on new 96-bed inpatient unit at Limerick hospital next year

The cost of the project is estimated at €43m plus VAT, significantly higher than the €25m that had previously been mentioned in relation to the project

The new inpatient unit at University Hospital Limerick will take about 20 months to build. Photo: Don Moloney

The construction of a new 96-bed inpatient unit at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is expected to begin early next year, after the Health Service Executive (HSE) published a tender notice for the project this week.

The move comes amid an overcrowding crisis at the hospital, where 52 patients were accommodated on trolleys on Wednesday, prompting the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) to call for ministerial intervention.