Concern on hospital overcrowding

Niall Hunter, Irish Health, September 9, 2010 The nurses and midwives union have called for the health safety body HIQA to carry out an urgent review of services at Limerick Regional Hospital, following reports of severe overcrowding there. The INMO said patient care is being severely compromised at the Limerick hospital, with 45 emergency patients awaiting access to a hospital bed this morning. The union said 24 of these patients were in the emergency department, 10 in a transit lounge and 11 behind doors or on corridors of already full wards. The INMO said that 135 beds needed for Limerick Regional following the reconfiguration of services in the mid-west region from Ennis and Nenagh hospitals ... Concern