Press Statement
60 Modular Bed Block on Track – O’Donnell
– Other parties must state how they would do this any faster
– Hours to be extended at the Local Injury unit at St Johns Hospital
Limerick Senator and Fine Gael General Election candidate Kieran O’Donnell can confirm that he has been advised by HSE Estates that they expect the new 60 Modular Bed block at UHL to be build and fully fitted out by September.
Furthermore, he has been advised by UHL management that recruitment of medical and other personnel to staff this unit will commence next month. UHL management also advise him that the opening hours for the Local Injury clinic at St. Johns hospital will be extended to 8pm.
“HSE Estates advise me that the new much needed 60 Modular acute bed block at UHL is on track to be built and fully fitted out by September. Furthermore, UHL management advise me that recruitment of the necessary medical and other personnel will commence next month.
“Also, UHL management advise me that that the opening hours for the Local Injury clinic at St Johns will be extended to 8pm. This is something I have looked for as well as having the second MRI scanner in operation, which is now the case.
“I am always looked to find solutions to address the trolley crisis at UHL and this is why I campaigned so hard for this new 60 bed block as well as planning to get underway shortly for a further 96 bed unit at UHL.
“Furthermore, if any other party has an answer as to how to get this 60 Bed block up and running faster, I would welcome this information. We should all be working together on this in a positive rather than negative way for the patients and staff.
“This issue is above politics for me as I have only wish to see this 60 Bed block built and in operation for the patients of Limerick and the Mid-West as quickly as possible.
“In the interim, we must ensure that all available beds in the UHL group of hospitals are used to the optimum. We cannot have a situation again, where we had 33 beds vacant in St John’s when at the same time we had 92 patients on trolleys in UHL ED.
“I will continue to ensure that there is a proper bed management plan in place as well driving forward the planning and building of the further 96 acute bed block at UHL, bringing the complement of new beds to over 150.
END.