Cancellation of surgeries and appointments in Munster could last weeks

HSE figures for Wednesday showed seven over 75s waiting longer than 24 hours among 130 patients on a trolley or surge bed. 

Cancellation of surgeries and appointments could last weeks at five hospitals in Limerick, Clare, and north Tipperary as concern grows over safety.

It comes as national hospital waiting list figures show more people waiting for their first appointment now than in June, with doctors predicting the Munster cancellations will add to this.

University Hospital Limerick’s (UHL) emergency department is seeing such high numbers that HSE regional executive officer Sandra Broderick stopped the flow of non-urgent patients to make space.

Now, HSE chief Bernard Gloster has backed her decision, saying it was based on advice from an external expert group.

This advice will be published at the end of this month, he pledged, describing UHL as “completely overheated”.

However, he did not say when the cancellations will end, telling RTÉ: “I would like to think it will be in the category of weeks.” 

He will also publish a review by former Justice Frank Clarke into the death of Aoife Johnston, 16, “as early as possible and hopefully within September”.

Ms Johnston died of sepsis after a 12-hour wait at UHL's emergency department (ED) in December 2022. 

A wider review on whether a second ED is needed by health watchdog Hiqa is also expected. 

A Midwest Hospital Campaign spokeswoman said the HSE, Department of Health, and politicians have denied another ED is needed.

“[They] insisted for many years that one ED is sufficient provision for the population of Clare, Limerick, and North Tipperary. 

"They have been proved wrong again and again,” she said.

HSE figures for Wednesday showed seven over 75s waiting longer than 24 hours among 130 patients on a trolley or surge bed. 

A spokeswoman said: "The list of measures and the exemptions for this de-escalation plan were drawn up by the clinical community at UL Hospital Group with the people of the Midwest to the forefront."

However, Irish Hospital Consultants Association president Professor Gabrielle Colleran said it is “extremely disappointing” to see services switched off for an indefinite period.

“This should not be the ‘go-to solution’ for management as it only undermines our commitment to care for already vulnerable patients, increases waiting lists, and may lead to poorer health outcomes," she said.

"Patients in Limerick and elsewhere deserve better.” 

Professor Gabrielle Colleran said it is 'extremely disappointing' to see services switched off for an indefinite period.

Meanwhile, the National Treatment Purchase Fund said numbers waiting for a first consultant appointment increased by 1,500 to 599,458 nationally. 

Numbers waiting for operations and in-patient procedures dropped by 752 to 88,063.

Prof Colleran warned: “It seems likely 2024 will see significant increases, in a stark reversal of the modest reductions achieved over the past two years. 

"A radical rethink is long overdue.”