CEO makes plea for elective hospital in Limerick to help with UHL overcrowding

Professor Colette Cowan said inpatient bed capacity University Hospital Limerick is 530, whereas in 2009 it was recommended the hospital be given 642 acute beds. Picture: Dan Linehan

The CEO of the UL Hospital Group has made a plea for an elective hospital in Limerick to help address the overcrowding crisis.

Senior officials and doctors addressed the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday, with the session focused on improvements following a scathing report from health watchdog Hiqa in June. Inspectors on that day found one person waiting 116 hours on a trolley for a hospital bed.