Letterkenny University Hospital issues statement over long delays in Emergency Department

 
The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy today and as a result has seen an increase in the number of patients waiting for admission. 
This time of year is traditionally a busy period for hospitals and brings an anticipated increase in activity in Emergency Departments around the country.
Due to this increased level of activity and subsequent admissions, it is regrettable that some patients may experience a delay in being transferred from the Emergency Department to a hospital bed.
The hospital is taking immediate steps to respond appropriately and the measures being put in place include:
 
•           Deferral of most elective surgery. We regret having to postpone any elective procedure and recognise that it can be distressing for the patients and their families;
•           Ensuring there are no unnecessary delays for necessary diagnostic tests for patients in our Emergency Departments;
•           All available bed capacity is being utilised;
•           Convalescence beds are being procured on a daily basis from private nursing homes to facilitate discharge; and
•           Working closely with all the hospitals in the Group to ensure that capacity on all sites is maximised.
 
Management at the hospital would like to advise people who are attending the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital that they can expect delays today. We would encourage the public to visit the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies, and would also advise people to contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
Letterkenny University Hospital would like to apologise to all patients and their families for any distress caused as a result of the delays.