Saolta are reporting high attendance levels at the emergency department of Letterkenny University Hospital.
175 people attended the ED yesterday, resulting in 69 admissions.
They say those presenting at the ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times.
It is requested that Out of Hours GP services and pharmacies are considered before the emergency department as pressure on bed availability is on-going.
Read the statement in full:
The Emergency Department (ED) at Letterkenny University Hospital (LUH) has been extremely busy over the past few days and the hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times. 175 people attended the ED yesterday, Tuesday 18 July, resulting in 69 patient admissions.
As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
These high attendances are continuing. Many of the attendances are patients who are very sick and need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. There is ongoing pressure on bed availability in the hospital and we regret that many patients are currently experiencing long waiting times to be admitted from the ED to an acute bed in the hospital. There are currently 15 patients on trolleys awaiting admission to in-patient beds.
We are committed to treating everyone who presents at our ED but we do so strictly in order of medical priority. The hospital acknowledges that these delays are very difficult for patients and their families and apologises for the inconvenience and distress these delays cause.
We continue to request that people consider other options for non-emergency care such as Out of Hours GP and pharmacies before attending an ED.
