Health Minister: 'All options are on the table' to improve Limerick hospital

THE MINISTER for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill says she is "open to all three" recommendations that Hiqa have made to improve conditions at University Hospital Limerick (UHL).

Speaking at the opening of the new 96-bed block at the Dooradoyle hospital this Monday, Ms Carroll MacNeill said: "All the options are on the table".

The report, by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) had found that UHL's emergency department was non-compliant with national standards.

READ MORE: 'Much more than a building': Minister for Health officially opens new 96-bed block at UHL

It highlighted severe overcrowding, insufficient nurse staffing, and ineffective patient flow.

Three options were outlined in the report.

Option A involves expanding capacity at UHL, Option B proposes a new two-site model by extending the campus to a new nearby location under a a share governance structure.

And option C suggests developing a new hospital with a second emergency department in the region.

Ms Carroll MacNeill also said she hopes a decision will be made b Christmas.

"Hiqa have very clearly identified options A and options B as being the priorities to meet the patient safety need of having more acute hospital beds on site as quickly as possible. You can understand that would be my priority. But all the options are on the table," she said.

The Dún Laoghaire TD added she is working with the HSE and the Department of Health to bring apaper to Government on this.

"I will be liaising with public representatives, with the patient council, who are a very important voice in Limerick and the Mid-West. They've given me a guide as to what they'd like me to se, but I will be having detailed discussions with them before I bring anything to cavinet. I want to hear the patient voice articulated and articulated strongly," she added.

Ms Carroll MacNeill, when asked about re-opening the emergency departments which closed in 2009 at St John's, Nenagh and Ennis said: "It's not as straight-forward as re-opening an A&E (accident and emergency unit) if the supporting services aren't there for someone who has come in a major trauma. What we are going is putting more beds into some of the model two hospitals. We have increased the medical assessment units. We have taken steps to try and support people at home through lower acute interventions. We will expand and prioritise these as we do not want peple coing to the emergency department unless they need to."

"It's not just about an emergency department. It's about what is behind it. That's where we have to take the most-balanced decision as to where is the capacity is support someone who comess," she added.

The chief executive of the HSE Bernard Gloster has said the new 96-bed unit which oipened this Monday is fully staffed, saying there is a complement of 240 doctors, nurses and other support workers.

"We are not in the business of opening facilities which are not safely or properly staffed. The difference is 12 months ago, the recruitment for this building started. That doesn't normally happen. We'd normally end up with a building, we'd cut the ribbon and we'd then try and staff it. It's a fundamental shift in how we do capital infrastructure," the health service boss explained.