UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick (UHL) imposed a complete visitor ban on Monday because of multiple outbreaks of Covid-19 and influenza.
A hospital spokesman also confirmed that people attending the emergency department were experiencing “long waits for non-urgent care“ due patient overcrowding.
There were 84 patients on trolleys in the emergency department and on wards, making it, once again, the most overcrowded hospital in the country.
Referring to the visiting ban, the spokesman said: “Seven wards are currently affected and, on the recommendation of our outbreak teams, the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure in the interests of patient and staff safety.
“All appropriate infection control precautions are being followed to minimise the risk of spreading infection among staff and patients in the hospital, and also within the wider community. The situation is being monitored and reviewed daily, and we will relax the restrictions as soon as it is safe to do so.”
The only exceptions to the ban are parents visiting children; people assisting confused patients (e.g. dementia) and people visiting patients who are critically unwell or at end of life, which are limited to one visitor per patient.
The hospital group was also asking people “not to visit inpatient relatives or loved ones outdoors in the grounds of the hospital, as this can also present infection transmission risks”.
