Hospitals in Limerick will recommence elective surgeries from Thursday morning, following a two-day hiatus. The suspension was in place at the University of Limerick hospital group, which includes University Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Limerick’s St John’s Hospital, and the Croom orthopaedic clinic. This cessation of non-emergency surgeries on Tuesday and Wednesday was enforced due to an unprecedented influx of seriously ill patients needing immediate attention at emergency wards. Since the 1st of March, they have attended an average of 245 patients daily, totalling at 1,716 in emergency attendance.
Currently, only urgent surgeries, especially those related to cancer patients, are being carried out. According to the HSE’s TrolleyGar data, 62 patients were awaiting a bed at UHL as of this morning, with 21 in the emergency department and the remaining 41 on wards.
The University of Limerick Hospitals Group deeply regrets the impact on patients affected by these deferrals and is committed to rescheduling these surgeries at the earliest. The group views such cancellations as a final measure that no hospital administration desires to implement.
Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald criticised the Government for its lack of proactive response to the escalating crisis of hospital services in the midwest. McDonald urged the Government to acknowledge the ongoing health crisis and respond to the public’s reasonable demands for healthcare and safety.
In addition, a pharmacist from Limerick claimed that the initial notification of HSE’s request for assistance to relieve UHL’s strain was received through the media. This, according to a Lahinch-based GP Dr Michael Kelleher, is a result of a growing ageing population that inevitably increases the demand for such healthcare services which used to be a winter phenomenon.
Niall O’Sullivan revealed to RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland that the HSE had failed to provide direct communication regarding an emerging matter. Instead, they first learnt of the situation through a RTÉ news report, noting such lack of communication as a recurring problem. The hospital teams have thus put out a call for assistance from GPs and pharmacies, yet the HSE has not asked for their help directly.
Dr Michael Kelleher, a GP from Lahinch, argued that capacity remains a core issue, with a desperate need for more beds, better step-down options, and heightened community services to bolster step-down support. Whilst general practice can offer preventative care to limit hospital visits, he highlighted that their support has its limits. He also stated that the climbing and ageing population will create year-round demand at hospitals, previously only seen during winter surge periods. By his prediction, there will be quadruple the number of people over 85 in less than 25 years, demanding increases in capacity to address this increase.
On another note, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has dismissed the suggestion of reopening previously closed emergency departments in regional midwest hospitals to tackle the ongoing trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick. To defend his stance, he referred to expert opinion suggesting centralised services were preferable even in the face of overcrowding. This comes after Fianna Fáil TD Willie O’Dea proposed that the government consider reopening one of the three emergency departments closed in the area, including facilities at Ennis and Nenagh hospitals.
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