Sinn Féin TD for Limerick City, Maurice Quinlivan, has said government must now outline a clear plan for when and how they will implement in full all recommendations of the coroner following the verdict of medical misadventure at the inquest into the death of Aoife Johnston.Teachta Quinlivan said:

“I again extend my sincere and deepest sympathy to the parents of Aoife Johnston, Carol and James, her family, friends, and loved ones at this time of unimaginable loss and sadness. Aoife was a much loved young woman, with her whole life ahead of her, who was profoundly and devastatingly failed when she entered the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick.

“The inquest heard harrowing testimony from Aoife’s family and from staff who were on duty that weekend. It is clear that the emergency department  was overcrowded, understaffed, and unsafe.

“Aoife’s case speaks in the most heartbreaking way to the depths of the crisis at University Hospital Limerick. 

“The huge pressure on the hospital is untenable, unsustainable, and unacceptable. Enough has not been done to ensure this hospital is safe. The people of the mid-west deserve to know that if they or their loved ones need it, they will have access to timely, high-quality care but instead they feel badly let down by the state of constant crisis.

“For many years, Sinn Féin have been demanding that government listen to patients and hospital staff to address capacity deficits and strain on staff. The Government must accept that its approach is falling far short of what is needed to make the hospital safe. The region needs 288 acute inpatient beds to address the problem. 

“I know that people across Limerick and the wider mid-west are deeply anxious about the harrowing scenes at UHL. They need to see urgent action from government that results in genuine and meaningful change. Not PR exercises, not more rhetoric from government, not promises that don’t materialise; but a clear plan and timeline for delivery setting out when this unacceptable crisis will finally be resolved.

“I am calling on the Government to now immediately outline when and how they will implement the coroner’s recommendations in full. They must also outline when they will end the recruitment embargo, provide 24-hour urgent care at Ennis and Nenagh, achieve safe staffing levels, and deliver enough beds.

“Urgent, meaningful change is needed. The people of Limerick and wider mid-west deserve nothing less.”