| Sinn Féin TD for Limerick City Maurice Quinlivan has said today’s record-breaking 130 patients on trolleys in University Hospital Limerick should “end Minister Stephen Donnelly’s reign of incompetence”. This is an all-time record high for any hospital in the state. Speaking today, Teachta Quinlivan said: “This morning 130 people have been recorded on hospital trolleys in University Hospital Limerick alone. “This is the highest number ever recorded in the state and it is a damning indictment of the Government’s health policies. “For perspective, that’s almost the same number of people packed into UHL on trolleys, as there are beds in Nenagh, Croom and Ennis hospitals combined. It’s absolutely scandalous. “We literally have three extra hospitals on trolleys in UHL, but without the staff or resources to mind and care for the patients. “These aren’t just statistics, these are real people in need of urgent medical care. “The personal stories I am hearing every day from patients, and from families of loved ones are absolutely heart-breaking. “The staff are at breaking point and this is incredibly unfair to expect them to deliver care in such over crowded situations. “The trolley crisis at UHL is an indictment of this government’s failure in health. “Time and again I have raised this concern with the Minister for Health and yet no concrete actions have been taken to address the crisis. Today we hit a new embarrassing milestone. “There have been 1,632 people treated on trolleys in UHL so far this October. In all of October 2022 there were 1,268 people treated in these types of conditions. “It is beyond doubt that this Minister has failed to get to grips with this crisis. Year on year the numbers get worse, and it is almost inevitable that we will exceed last year’s record numbers of 18,012 people treated on trolleys in a single year. “The Minister has not got to grips with these numbers and it is patients and the medical professionals, who must operate in such conditions that bear the impact of his failure. “Minister Donnelly needs to get his head out of the sand, and travel to Limerick to meet with these people. “The Minister needs to hear first-hand the desperate and tragic stories of people in Limerick who are really suffering due to this outrageous overcrowding. “We need urgent action now, not the usual spin and empty words from the Minister.” |
| CRÍOCH/ENDS |
October 23, 2023
130 people on trolleys in UHL should ‘end Donnelly’s reign of incompetence’ – Maurice Quinlivan TD
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