Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is “in denial” about the trolley in University Hospital Limerick (UHL), according to Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan.
The HSE is to conduct a review into the care of a 76-year-old man who died from sepsis two days after being discharged from UHL.
Michael Cuddihy spent 18 hours on a trolley after being admitted in November 2023, before being told he had a stomach bug and sent home.
Mr Gavan said you would be “lost for words” over the shocking conditions Mr Cuddihy and others faced.
“This is the second case involving sepsis that has to public attention recently,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“As [Mr Cuddihy’s] family pointed out last night, it results directly from the chronic overcrowding over UHL.”
Some 239 people have died on trollies at UHL over the last five years, according to figures from hospital management.
Mr Donnelly announced earlier this month he would be launching a review into healthcare in the midwest region.
The review will consider management at the hospital and assess whether a second Emergency department is necessary.
Management at UHL
Even though spending on UHL has increased by 75% since 2016, Mr Gavan said more needs to be done to prevent further tragedies.
He noted spending at UHL was “so low” to begin with, and increased funding is needed to compensate for the closure of emergency departments around the midwest.
“We also have a recruitment embargo which is doing further damage,” he said.
“I'm sure there are issues around UHL management but let's be clear we have a minister in denial about those trolley figures.
“He consistently refers back to the HSE figures that exclude people on trolleys if they haven’t yet been admitted.
“Donnelly was happy to use the [Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation] figures when he was in opposition.
“We had over 21,500 on trolleys and that’s double since the Minister came to power.”
According to INMO, there are 271 patients waiting on trolleys today across Irish hospitals, with 46 at the Mater and 43 at UHL.
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