The Saolta hospital group says the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy approaching the weekend.
In a statement, management say there’s been a significant increase in the numbers of patients presenting with respiratory and flu like illness.
Patients with flu require isolation to prevent the spread of infection, and management say this is a significant challenge.
In a statement this afternoon, the hospital says action is being taken to alleviate the waiting times for patients, including additional reviews and early discharges.
Management at the hospital are urging people to only attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
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Statement in full –
11 January 2019
The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy approaching the weekend
The Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy today, Friday 11 January.
The hospital has seen a significant increase in the numbers of patients presenting with respiratory and flu like illness. Patients with flu require isolation to prevent the spread of infection and this is a significant challenge.
Actions underway in the hospital to alleviate the waiting times for patients requiring hospital admission include additional reviews and early discharges.
We regret the delays experienced by our patients.
We would like to remind the public that we encourage them to attend the Emergency Department only in the case of real emergencies and they should contact their GP or GP Out-of-Hours service in the first instance.
We also wish to thank our staff who are working extremely hard during this busy and difficult time.
