Social Democrats health spokesperson Róisín Shortall has again questioned why a model three hospital for the mid-west region is only being considered now.
“At today’s Oireachtas Public Petitions Committee, I asked the Minister for Health why it has taken him four years to consider a model three hospital for the UL Hospital Group.
“Every other hospital group in the country has a number of model three hospitals. In fact, the five other hospital groups have at least three model three hospitals, while some of the hospital groups have multiple model four hospitals.
“In contrast, the UL Hospital Group has just one model four and no model three at all. This means it has only a single ED to serve its entire population in the mid-west region.
“It’s been over two years since HIQA stated that the absence of a model three hospital in the region significantly impacted the effective workings of Limerick’s emergency department.
“At today’s committee meeting, the Minister was also unable to explain to me why the UL Hospital Group has so few consultants. In total, it has 230 consultants, meaning it trails far behind other groups who on average have between 600 and 700 consultants.
“This postcode lottery must end as it is compromising patient safety. The mid-west region must be treated fairly in the allocation of health services.
“Until this under-resourcing is tackled, the people of the region will be inadequately served by the local public health service. This is very unfair and the Minister needs to take urgent action.”
May 23, 2024