'Huge surge in presentations' and bad weather sees more than 100 patients on trolleys in Limerick

A new 16-bed unit has opened at University Hospital Limerick.

More than 100 people have been stuck on trolleys every day at University Hospital Limerick this week despite the completion of a new 16-bed unit and staff sleeping in hotels to avoid snow-covered roads.

Sandra Broderick, HSE regional executive officer for the Mid-West, said UHL has seen “a huge surge in presentations” with numbers up over 26% since December 20.

Monday saw 122 people without a bed, on Tuesday it was 102, and it stood at 105 on Wednesday, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

Many patients are extremely ill from the flu, with some requiring admission to the intensive care unit, Ms Broderick said.

“We have a double whammy effect in the Mid-West, like Kerry, with the weather, so there have been plenty of trauma and orthopaedic presentations too," she said. 

Consultants and staff are all doing additional hours, with patients getting help to travel from snow-impacted areas too. 

“Our staff are helping by staying in hotels while we have this really bad weather. 

"We’ve put on a 24-hour service for homeless people so they have shelter during the day too,” she said.

Sandra Broderick, HSE regional executive officer for the Mid-West, said UHL has seen 'a huge surge in presentations' with numbers up over 26% since December 20.

Government funding for the new ward was allocated earlier this year in the wake of public outrage at tragic deaths in the emergency department.

It was handed over by Clancy Construction on December 20.

Ms Broderick said: “We opened the 16 beds — all single occupancy so that’s been a great help to prevent spread of respiratory infections around the hospital.” 

Patients are being moved to local hospitals and community services when safe to do so to help reduce numbers at UHL.

“Staff are doing a sterling job given the demand for acute care and the obvious mismatch of beds in the region to meet demand,” she said. 

An interim report from the healthcare watchdog, Hiqa, is expected this month on emergency services across Limerick, Clare, and north Tipperary.

Nationally, 658 people were without a bed on Wednesday.

Despite the pressures, Mairéad O’Sullivan, assistant director of nursing at University Hospital Kerry, called on really sick to still attend hospitals.

She reassured people serious conditions as well as traumatic injuries continue to be treated in Tralee and elsewhere.

“Some signs and symptoms that you may need to attend the emergency department are as follows: Feeling breathless, feeling unwell with confusion or agitation, having a rapid onset of feeling unwell,” she said.

Other signs are feeling dizzy or unable to stand, she added.

In just one week before Christmas, 8,195 people were admitted to hospitals nationally after attending an emergency department. 

This was up 4.5% on the same week in 2023, HSE data shows.

Cork University Hospital’s emergency department saw 18% during that period than the same period in 2023. 

The ED at University Hospital Kerry saw 12% more people.