A significant number of planned services in the University Limerick Hospitals Group have been suspended, to allow the main hospital deal with emergency department overcrowding.
Today there are 120 patients waiting in the UHL emergency department, according to the Irish Nurses & Midwives Organisation.
Inpatient, day surgery, outpatient appointments and some other scheduled services have been deferred at UHL, Ennis, Nenagh, St John's and Croom Orthopaedic Hospital, until further notice.
Exceptions to the deferrals in care include cancer services, time-critical surgery, dialysis, cardiology and other care.
The UHL emergency department, injury units and medical assessment units at Ennis, Nenagh and St John's are operating normally.
The hospital group has said that it will reschedule affected patients as soon as possible.
In a statement today, the UHL Group said that at a meeting of the executive management team yesterday, attended by the Regional Executive Officer, Ms Sandra Broderick, a number of measures were agreed to de-escalate the UHL site, reduce wait times and improve patient flow.
The group said that significant reductions in scheduled care are in effect across UL Hospitals Group until further notice, as it manages high volumes of patients through the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick.
'Severe consequences for patient health outcomes'
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said the HSE decision to indefinitely cancel scheduled care across the University Limerick Hospitals Group was "unbelievable, unnecessary, and an abandonment of the people of the Mid-West".
Its Vice President, Mr Colin Peirce said it will have severe consequences for patient health outcomes, and minimal impact on overcrowding and waiting lists.
