Tuesday September 30, 2025. 

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has welcomed HIQA’s independent review into urgent and emergency care in the HSE Mid West region, adding that was critically important that action was taken immediately by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to address the stark deficit in bed capacity in the area.

Speaking today, Dr Anne Dee, President of the IMO and a public health consultant based in Limerick, said: “While the IMO welcomes the publication of the HIQA report today, its findings are hugely concerning for patients and the medical workforce working in the region. The serious deficit of beds is at the root of the problem in the mid-west, and a quality, safe service for patients cannot be delivered without these beds as well as the right number of staff.”

She said that University Hospital Limerick (UHL) was operating at a dangerous capacity which was detrimental for staff and patients, adding that the primary goal in the mid-west should be to support staff with the infrastructure they need to deliver safe care, rather than an improvement in productivity.

“Patients in the mid-west have lost trust in the system, and if that trust is to be rebuilt we need to see a clear, resourced plan with targeted supports. In addition to a longer term decision, short term measures to increase capacity must be initiated with supports both in terms of beds and services within the community – we need an immediate short term plan to run alongside a longer term ambition.”