Letterkenny General Overcrowding – HSE asks people to avoid the emergency dept. except in emergency

Overcrowding at Letterkenny General Hospital has led the HSE to ask the public not to attend the emergency department unless completely necessary.
Figures from INMO show this morning that there were 3 people being treated or awaiting treatment on trolley. A total of 16 were listed as additional patients, on beds, trolleys or chairs, on inpatient wards/units above the stated complement of that ward/unit.
Responding, the HSE issued this statement:
‘We wish to inform the general public that Letterkenny Hospital is experiencing high activity levels at the present time.  Due to the high number of people attending the Emergency Department, people who require non-urgent medical attention, should consult their GP in the first instance.
Those people who are attending the Emergency Department requiring urgent medical care may experience delays.
Due to the high number of admissions recently, patients who are due for a planned admission as an inpatient should ring in beforehand to confirm the availability of a bed.
Management at Letterkenny General Hospital regret any inconvenience caused and thank people for their cooperatiion’