The HSE says the Emergency Department at Letterkenny University Hospital is extremely busy again today, with high numbers of people requiring admission.
In the last week 1,143 people attended the ED, 345 of whom were admitted to inpatient beds.
This morning management say there were 12 patients on trolleys in the Emergency Department awaiting admission to an inpatient bed, with further patients being accommodated on trolleys in other areas of the hospital.
With all available beds in the hospital in use, they say patients are facing long waiting times to be admitted from the ED to a bed on a ward. Every effort is being made to discharge patients who are ready to go home so that beds will become available for patients who need to be admitted, at the earliest opportunity.
The hospital is advising that patients who attend ED for routine and non-urgent treatment will experience very long waiting times, and people should attend their GP or out-of-hours service in the first instance.
For mild illness or non-urgent conditions, today’s statement says there are a number of treatment options open, with community pharmacists providing expert advice and over-the-counter treatments for a wide range of minor illnesses. In addition to this expert advice, the HSE says a new service is available which allows pharmacists to supply prescription-only medication without the need to see a GP. The following common conditions can be treated under the Common Conditions Service; allergic rhinitis, cold sores, conjunctivitis, impetigo, oral thrush, shingles, cystitis (uncomplicated urinary tract infection), vaginal thrush. Information about the scheme is available on the HSE website here.
As always, people who do require emergency care are encouraged to attend EDs where they will be prioritised.
The statement concludes ital is committed to treating everyone who presents at the ED and both the Hospital management team and the clinical management team are doing everything to keep the site safe for patients.
