Over 100,000 people in Mid-West region including North Tipperary on trolleys since last election

Many people have raised the issue of overcrowding at UHL and have called for the government to reopen closed emergency departments in regional hospitals

The Mid-West Hospital campaign group have said that 114,243 people from Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary have been on trolleys or chairs at UHL Emergency Department since the last election on 8 February 2020.

Tipperary TD Michael Lowry has previously asked health Minister Stephen Donnelly during Question Time in the Dail in October of this year, about extending the opening hours of the Medical Assessment Unit in Nenagh.

Mr. Donnelly replied to his question saying: “The HSE is working to further extend operating hours to midnight this year, and incrementally to 24 hours. Recruitment is already underway for the staff and essential service provisions to support this development."

This stark figure revealed by the group shows that the problem has not been solved by the last government and it needs to be a main issue when a new government is formed in the coming weeks.

Extending opening hours or even opening regional emergency departments that have been closed, is a solution that the next government must consider to help ease this overcrowding at UHL.