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In statement from the medical board of the hospital, they said they welcomed the year-long investigation by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) into the overcrowding and concluding that the “key problem is that there are not enough inpatient beds in the Mid West to meet current demand for those patients requiring admission.” Led by medical board chairman, Prof Colin Peirce, and deputy chair Dr Joe Devlin, they said: “we hope to no longer hear the HSE or the Department of Health blame staff in HSE Mid West for problems that have yet again been clearly identified as those of physical bed capacity. “Rather, it would be appropriate to acknowledge the inequitable access, the privacy and dignity deficiencies our patients experience and recognition of the superb work of HSE Mid West consultants, nursing and support staff in delivering more emergency care than any other Model 4 hospital in the state, despite such inadequate infrastructure.” The doctors warned of the ongoing patient safety risks due to lack of beds and said the pace at which new beds are promised needs to be accelerated. UHL should also also be exempted from the current “blunt” staff recruitment caps set by the HSE. They said the Hiqa report is the third investigation or review to find overcrowding a significant issue in the HSE Mid West since the tragic death of teenager Aoife Johnston in December 2022 from meningitis-related sepsis after waiting sixteen hours on a trolley. The medical board said today the Hiqa report makes it clear that despite having the lowest number of Model 4 hospital beds per capita, and with no Model 3 beds in the region, the hospital’s emergency department still sees the highest number of patients in any Model 4 hospital nationally. They added that the Mid West has the lowest number of inpatient beds relative to the number of people who attend the emergency department. Immediate delivery of another 224 of beds would be expected to bring the hospital up to parity with current bed numbers in other Model 4 hospitals, relative to demand. However, the timeline for 96 of these beds is now estimated to be 2029, by which time demand for acute capacity will have increased further in line with demographic change. The current plan does not address the provision of any Model 3 beds in the Mid West whatsoever, and the scale of the deficiency becomes clearer, they said. The doctors referred to the options set out by Hiqa, including building a second hospital with an emergency department. But they warned “there is also a need for immediate action to reduce patient safety risk.” The doctors insisted the report has a clear message – patient safety is being compromised. To quote again, “overcrowding in the ED and wider hospital persists and this represents an ongoing risk to patient safety.” “If necessary, we believe this may require the re-phasing of capital developments elsewhere in the country, until such a time as equity of access to emergency healthcare for all families in Ireland is achieved. “The Medical Board would welcome the truncation of planning and/or any other processes that could accelerate the next phase of development of the UHL site, in a similar vein to what happened in the national interest during Covid. We would also welcome the opportunity to work with the Department of Health and the HSE in mitigating against this risk to patient safety until such time as additional beds are available." Opening a new 96 bed unit at the hospital earlier this month, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she is not ruling out any of the options put forward by Hiqa in its report. She acknowledged that the new beds opened are “very much needed” and important for the entire Mid-West region. She said that 572 beds need to be delivered in the Mid-West by 2031. “We will continue to invest in this hospital to ensure patients receive safe, high-quality care. This new facility is a testament to our shared commitment to delivering better healthcare for all,” she said.
