UHL failures caused by limited nearby services, nursing shortages and ageing population

A scathing Hiqa report has shone a light on the series of failures at University Hospital Limerick, including lengthy waits for treatment and overcrowding

One patient waited 116 hours for a hospital bed, the Hiqa report said. Picture: Dan Linehan

Access to emergency care at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has become “a point of failure” due to limited services in nearby hospitals, nursing shortages, and an elderly population.

Hundreds of new beds and another hospital are needed to plug the gap.