UHL considers onsite GP to tackle waiting lists

'We accept that a GP presence in the emergency department could have a positive impact'

University Hospital Limerick had 86 people on trolleys on Wednesday despite months of efforts to reduce long waits.

University Hospital Limerick (UHL), one of the country's worst-performing hospitals for overcrowding, is assessing whether having an onsite GP could help to get beds more quickly for those patients who need them most urgently.

Such an initiative, along with new ambulance programmes, could help patients who are less seriously unwell to avoid going through the emergency department (ED) if paramedics or other medical professionals assess this as a safe course of action.