Crisis in local health service highlighted

A petition signed by 15,000 people calling for the restoration of full emergency department services at Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital, and St John's Hospital Limerick was highlighted by a delegation from the Midwest Hospital Campaign (MWHC) when it appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Public Petitions and the Ombudsman on Thursday of last week.

Founded in 2019 in response to the worsening emergency department (ED) crisis at University Hospital Limerick (UHL), the campaign submitted the petition to the committee in June of last year.

The MWHC is comprised of members from across the Midwest Hospital Region. North Tipperary is represented by the Nenagh Needs Its A&E Campaign. The North Tipperary campaign statement was delivered by Tricia Delaney of Nenagh Needs Its A&E.

During a two-hour session which was attended by no Tipperary Oireachtas member - apart from committee Chair, Deputy Martin Browne TD - the delegation engaged with a range of questions on “the fourteen-year nightmare” that has developed since the downgrading of regional EDs commenced.

At the conclusion of the session, the chairperson agreed that the committee would negotiate with the campaign on a list of relevant parties to the crisis that will be invited to appear at a future date to explain the way forward at UHL ED and the urgently-needed reform of the delivery of emergency healthcare in the Midwest.

A NENAGH VOICE

Tricia Delaney told committee members they were a grassroots organisation fighting for the restoration of vital emergency department services in our local hospitals, including Nenagh.

She pointed out that in 2009, Nenagh Hospital, along with Ennis Hospital and St John's Hospital Limerick, witnessed a downgrading of their emergency departments to the status of local injury units.

“This decision had severe consequences for our communities, as it meant that only basic injuries could be treated locally, while more serious cases were diverted to University Hospital Limerick.

“Regrettably, the promised expansion of patient capacity at UHL, the central hub for ED services, has not materialised in the fourteen years since the downgrade. Today, despite the heroic efforts of staff on the ground, UHL's emergency department stands as the worst performing in Ireland by numerous metrics, consistently facing severe overcrowding and posing a clear threat to patient safety.”

‘DIRE SITUATION’

“The dire situation in UHL,” said Ms Delaney, “has resulted in vulnerable and sick individuals, including the elderly, enduring shameful conditions. Patients often spend days on trolleys before receiving the necessary treatment or being transferred to a hospital ward. Expert evidence has highlighted cases where patients suffered long-term health consequences or tragically lost their lives due to extended stays in UHL's Emergency Department. This crisis is not just a matter of statistics; it profoundly affects our community.”

Ms Delaney said that more than 15,000 concerned citizens have signed a petition, a collective plea for the restoration of full emergency department services at Nenagh Hospital, Ennis Hospital, and St John's Hospital Limerick.

“The people have endured fourteen years of broken promises and failed attempts to address this escalating crisis. Any solutions put forward by the Department of Health and the HSE have proven to be nothing more than ‘patchwork’ efforts and have failed.

“The people of the Midwest deserve more than temporary fixes. It is time for comprehensive, sustainable solutions that prioritise the health and well-being of our community.

“We are well aware that many within government, the HSE, and political classes on all sides, view our demands as naive. However, in the fourteen-year period since the ill-fated hospital reconfiguration, neither the HSE nor the government has presented any effective solutions to address the dire overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick's emergency department. This overcrowding poses an immediate threat to the safety and well-being of well over 400,000 people in North Tipperary and across the Midwest.”

Ms Delaney said the delegation had come before the committee not only as advocates for change but representing a community that has borne the brunt of a failed reconfiguration.

“We urge government to listen to the words of its own minister when he admits that reconfiguration has not worked, to consider the 15,000 voices represented in our petition and take decisive action.”