Underinvestment' Hospitals Posts Only Created In Ul 61 Year As Last West 'chronic Mid

'Chronic underinvestment' in Mid West as UL hospitals created only 61 posts last year — Clare Figures By Response Released Questions Were The Independent Td Picture: New Mcnamara File Gareth Chaney/collins In Parliamentary Michael To Put

Mon, 13 Feb, 2023 - 19:31

Sean Murray

Only 61 full-time posts in acute services were created in the University of Limerick Hospital Group last year, just 2.3% of the national figure, highlighting a “chronic underinvestment” in the Mid West.

That is according to Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara, who said the statistics released to him via parliamentary questions show that the increase in the healthcare workforce in acute services in the Mid West “falls far behind the increases seen in other regions of the country”.

Just seven full-time healthcare professional positions in acute services were created at University Hospital Limerick during all of last year. And this comes, Mr McNamara said, despite University Hospital Limerick being the most overcrowded hospital in the country last year.

The HSE figures show that there were 2,645 full/whole-time equivalent posts created within acute services in hospitals last year.

Just 61 posts were created in the group — comprising University Hospital Limerick, University Maternity Hospital Limerick, Ennis Hospital, Nenagh Hospital, Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, and St John's Hospital Limerick — whereas 579 positions were created in Saolta University Hospital Care (21.9% of the national figure). Saolta includes hospitals in Galway, Mayo, Donegal, and Sligo.

A further 547 positions (20.7% of the national total) were created in the South/South West Hospital Group, which includes Cork University Hospital, Mallow General, Mercy University Hospital, University Hospital Kerry, and University Hospital Waterford.

Over 400 posts each were created in the other main hospital groups apart from the 77 posts created at Children’s Health Ireland.

University Maternity Hospital Limerick was one of only five hospitals in Ireland to experience a reduction in staff numbers in acute services last year, with 265 full/whole-time equivalent posts in December 2022 compared to 274 posts a year earlier.

The Clare TD said that he would be raising these figures with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar during Leader’s Questions on Tuesday, and that the statistics are at odds with comments made by the health minister regarding resources at the UL Hospital Group.

“UHL has been the most overcrowded hospital in the country for the past seven years, with a record 18,028 patients waiting on trolleys and on wards in 2022,” Mr McNamara said.

“The picture painted by these figures suggests a chronic under-investment in hospitals across this region and therefore, there should be no surprise as to why waiting lists and trolley numbers here remain consistently higher than other parts of the country.”