Limerick, Ireland: Hospitals And Healthcare

are there any hospitals in limerick ireland

Limerick, Ireland is served by several hospitals, including University Hospital Limerick, which is the region's Model 4 hospital. The hospital, located in Dooradoyle, provides critical care services, a 24/7 emergency department, and is a designated centre for cancer, trauma, and vascular surgery. University Hospital Limerick is also the only maternity hospital in the Mid-Western area, providing obstetric, midwifery, and neonatology services. In addition to University Hospital Limerick, there are several other hospitals in the region, including Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, and St. John's Hospital, which are part of the University Hospital Limerick network. Construction is also underway on the new Bon Secours Hospital Limerick, which is set to open in 2025.

Characteristics Values
Name of the hospital University Hospital Limerick
Other names Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick; Limerick Regional Hospital
Location Dooradoyle, Limerick, Ireland
Year of opening 1955
Number of beds 438 inpatient, 48 psychiatry, 76 day spaces, 80 Obstetric beds, 19 Neo Natal cots
Services Critical care, 24/7/365 Emergency Department, cancer centre, trauma and vascular surgery, Paediatrics, E.N.T, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Oncology, Radiotherapy, Haematology, Dermatology, Rheumatology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Support services Radiology, Pathology, Physiotherapy, Dietetics, Social Work, Pharmacy
Car parking 3 car parks
Upcoming hospitals Bon Secours Hospital Limerick (to be opened in 2025)

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University Hospital Limerick

UHL has approximately 438 inpatient beds, 48 psychiatry beds, and 76 day spaces. The hospital offers a range of regional inpatient services, including paediatrics, ophthalmology, obstetrics, and gynaecology. It is the only maternity hospital in the Mid-Western area, with 80 obstetric beds and 19 neonatal cots. The hospital also provides outpatient services in various specialities, such as neurology, sexually transmitted diseases, and orthodontics.

The hospital has a Patient Advocacy Liaison Services (PALS) team for the Emergency Department, offering support to patients and their families. The PALS clinic is open Monday to Friday from 2 pm to 4 pm. The hospital chapel is located on the ground floor of the administration building and is open daily from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm.

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Bon Secours Hospital Limerick

There are several hospitals in Limerick, Ireland, including the University Hospital Limerick, the University Maternity Hospital Limerick, and the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick. This response will focus on the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick.

The Bon Secours Hospital Limerick delivers advanced medicine and exceptional care in a safe and compassionate environment. The hospital's dedicated and competent staff ensures that patients and their families receive the highest possible standard of quality care.

Construction is currently underway on a new Bon Secours Hospital Limerick, which is set to open in 2025.

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University Hospital Limerick's services

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is the Model 4 hospital for the region. It houses a 24/7/365 Emergency Department and is a designated centre for cancer, trauma and vascular surgery. The hospital provides critical care services and is the hub for Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and St John's Hospital. Patients who require critical and complex care are either stabilised and transferred to a local Model 2 hospital or admitted to UHL. The hospital has approximately 438 inpatient beds, 48 psychiatry beds and 76 day spaces.

UHL is the only maternity hospital in the Mid-Western area, serving the counties of Limerick, Clare and Tipperary North. It is equipped with 80 obstetric beds and 19 neonatal cots, seven birthing rooms, two operating theatres, a 24-hour admission room, two post-natal wards and one antenatal ward. The hospital also provides outpatient facilities, including antenatal clinics, ultrasonography services and physiotherapy.

The hospital provides a range of regional inpatient services, including paediatrics, ENT, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, cardiology, orthopaedics, oncology, radiotherapy, haematology, dermatology, rheumatology, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. Support services include radiology, pathology, physiotherapy, dietetics, social work and pharmacy.

Day care is provided in surgical specialties, and an Acute Medical Assessment Unit is in place to treat patients without the need for hospital admission. The hospital also provides a full range of outpatient services, including neurology, sexually transmitted diseases/GUM and orthodontics.

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University Hospital Limerick's overcrowding issues

University Hospital Limerick (UHL) is the Model 4 hospital for the region, providing critical care services and a 24/7/365 Emergency Department. It is also a designated cancer centre. Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital and St John's Hospital are integral parts of the network, treating patients according to their model status.

UHL has been facing overcrowding issues. In October 2023, campaigner Marie McMahon warned that people in the midwest were terrified of having to go to the emergency department at UHL. She said that the situation had not improved over the years and that the hospital had set a new record for patients on trolleys, with 130 people waiting for admission. The previous record was 126 patients in April 2022.

McMahon has been calling for the reopening of emergency departments in Ennis, Nenagh and St John's since the death of her husband, Tommy Wynne, in 2018, after he spent 36 hours on a trolley. She added that the hospital itself was fine, but it was the lack of staff, the overcrowding and the number of patients on trolleys that were the issues.

In August 2024, the UL Hospital Group announced a "significant" reduction in scheduled care across five hospitals in the midwest region to ease the strain on UHL, which was described as Ireland's most overcrowded hospital. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that UHL had a "management issue, a clinical leadership issue and a capacity issue" that was resulting in consistent overcrowding. He added that the discharge rate over the weekend was good, but it fell off on Monday and Tuesday in a way that it didn't in other hospitals.

The decision to postpone scheduled care was criticised by the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA), who called it an "abandonment of the people" in the midwest. However, Bernard Gloster, chief executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE), said that there were many exemptions to the postponement of scheduled care, such as cancer care and time-critical surgeries. He added that the consequences of not postponing care were better than the alternative, which could see acutely ill patients waiting longer for medical treatment due to bed shortages.

A support team was established in May 2024 to look into the issue of overcrowding. The team reported that capacity was not the only issue, but the management of patient flow was also a contributing factor. They also noted that access to diagnostics, such as CAT scans and imaging, was important for patient flow.

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University Maternity Hospital Limerick

The University Maternity Hospital Limerick is a stand-alone maternity hospital that opened in 1960. It is the only maternity hospital in the Mid-Western area, serving the counties of Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary North, and catering to a population of approximately 380,000 people. The hospital is located on Ennis Road in Limerick and was designed by Patrick Sheahan.

The University Maternity Hospital Limerick is a tertiary referral unit, offering obstetric, midwifery, and neonatology services. It houses 83 obstetric beds and 19 neonatal cots, seven birthing rooms, two operating theatres, a 24-hour admission room, two post-natal wards, and one antenatal ward. Additionally, there are outpatient facilities, including antenatal clinics, ultrasonography services, and physiotherapy. The hospital is affiliated with the University of Limerick and serves as a clinical placement site for midwifery and medical school training.

In 2013, the hospital was renamed from the Mid-Western Regional Maternity Hospital to the University Maternity Hospital Limerick when the hospitals in the greater Mid-West Region came under the governance of the UL Hospitals Group. It is now managed by this group and plays a central role among the six UL Hospitals in the Midwest region. The hospital is also a designated site for abortions, as per the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013.

The University Maternity Hospital Limerick is easily accessible by public transport. For example, one can take bus route 55 from Tipperary to Limerick and then transfer to route 323. The hospital provides free parking for patients and visitors in the car park located in front of the hospital. Additionally, the Patient Advocacy Liaison Service (PALS) is available to help patients and visitors navigate the hospital and address any queries or concerns they may have.

Frequently asked questions

Yes, there are several hospitals in Limerick, Ireland. The University Hospital Limerick is the main hospital in the region, providing critical care services, a 24/7 emergency department, and designated cancer care.

The UL Hospitals Group includes University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and St. John's Hospital Limerick.

Yes, the Bon Secours Hospital Limerick is a private hospital currently under construction and set to open in 2025. Additionally, Beacon Hospital is opening a private diagnostic imaging and health screening centre in Limerick, called Beacon Limerick, in Spring 2022.

University Hospital Limerick offers a range of services, including emergency and complex surgeries, maternity services with 80 obstetric beds and 19 neonatal cots, acute medical assessment, and outpatient services in various specialties. It is also the only maternity hospital in the Mid-Western area capable of providing clinical services to high-risk women and their infants.

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