Saolta responds to INMO claims that abnormal has been accepted as normal at LUH

Saolta has responded to the INMO’s statement issued this week which claimed the abnormal had now been accepted as normal by local management at Letterkenny University Hospital.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation also stated that the hospital did not implement the nationally agreed Full Capacity Protocol at the hospital in its entirety and services continued, ignoring the pressure Emergency Department nurses were experiencing.
The statement issued by the INMO revealed that at 8am on Tuesday last, 29 patients were waiting on a bed on a ward, 12 of which were in the ED, 11 were in the AMAU, 2 in treatment rooms and corridors.
While another 14 other patients were being processed at the same time.
The Saolta hospital group have confirmed that the emergency department at the hospital was extremely busy last Monday and Tuesday however, the group says there was no single identifiable reason to explain the unusually high numbers of patients attending both days.
Saolta have moved to confirm that inpatient surgery was cancelled in accordance with the Full Capacity Protocol with day surgery proceeding as planned.
They say measures were taken to relieve pressure on the Emergency Department.
Letterkenny University Hospital would like to apologise to all patients and their families for any distress caused as a result of delays in the Emergency Department during this time.
The statement from Saolta can be read in full below:
The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital was extremely busy last Monday and Tuesday (14/15 May) with significant numbers of patients presenting to the Emergency Department. There was no single identifiable reason to explain the unusually high numbers attending both days.
Inpatient surgery was cancelled in accordance with the Full Capacity Protocol and day surgery proceeded as planned.
Among the measures taken to relieve pressure on the Emergency Department were: identifying patients who were appropriate for discharge; the transfer of appropriate patients to community care settings; communication with GPs to ensure patients are referred to ED only where appropriate.
Letterkenny University Hospital would like to apologise to all patients and their families for any distress caused as a result of delays in the Emergency Department during this time.