[7] In June 2017, a new Accident & Emergency Department opened in the hospital, replacing the former A&E facing the Main Entrance.

[8] A new 60-bed medical block on four storeys, with three inpatient wards of 20 en-suite rooms, built by Western Building Systems, was opened in November 2020.

[16] There is also criticism towards the Government's policies not to reopen the former A&E departments in Nenagh, Ennis and St. John's Hospital in the city.

According to the Mid-West Hospital Campaign Group, the protest was made up of families of loved ones who received inadequate healthcare in UHL, as well as individuals who experienced the same.

16-year-old Johnston had been referred to the emergency department by an outside GP service for suspected sepsis, but poor communication and overcrowding meant that processes were not followed and the necessary antibiotics were not administered until too late.