Motion for Model Three hospital in Mid-West to support University Hospital Limerick backed

A SINN FEIN motion calling for a Model Three hospital to be established in the Mid-West region was debated and passed unanimously in the Dáil.

Last week's motion called for the delivery of a second Model Three Hospital in the Mid-West coupled with a fast tracking of additional bed capacity for University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

UHL is the only Model 4 hospital in the country which is not supported by at least one Model 3 Hospital (see below).

Speaking on UHL, Deputy Maurice Quinlivan said 2024 will be the worst year ever for the number of people on trolleys. 

“When Fine Gael came to power in 2011, some 3,600 people spent time on trolleys at UHL.  Last year, 21,409 people spent time on trolleys in UHL.

"The three most recent ministers for health, Deputies Varadkar, Harris, and Donnelly, have not made any impact as the situation worsens weekly. They have failed the people of Limerick and the Mid-West,” said Mr Quinlivan.

The capacity problems at University Hospital Limerick did not just happen, he said. 

“We have had problems with overcrowding year on year since a previous Fianna Fáil Government opted to close the emergency departments in Nenagh, St John's and Ennis in 2009. This was predicted,” said Mr Quinlivan.

The Limerick City TD said he has spoken in the Dáil more than 300 times on the matter of UHL and has urged successive ministers for health to take decisive action. 

“The current minister has not acted and under his stewardship, the number of people being treated on trolleys has increased year-on-year, escalating in 2023 to an incredible 21,409 and this year again it will be worse. 

“A shocking 147,797 people have lingered on trolleys without beds in UHL since 2011, which was the year in which Fine Gael came into government. These people are deemed and assessed as being in need of a bed, but no bed was available to them,” he said.

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Highlighting other challenges facing the hospital, Mr Quinlivan said there were 15,000 cancellations in the hospital last year. 

“The emergency protocol, which is supposed to be used in an emergency, was implemented every single day last year in UHL. Crisis has become the norm in UHL.

"Successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have committed to creating a centre of excellence for emergency care at UHL, but what we have been left with is an emergency department that has been referred to as unsafe, overcrowded, akin to a war zone and where people die unnecessarily,” said Mr Quinlivan.