The Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick is dealing with severe overcrowding and is asking members of the public to consider all alternatives before attending the ED in Limerick.
Over the past 48 hours, daily attendances at the ED have averaged 246, compared with 205 on the equivalent days last year. This has followed a busy weekend at the department. Sixty nine admitted patients at the hospital were waiting on beds earlier today with 59 of these patients on trolleys.
Hospital Management says people with less urgent care needs are advised to expect long delays at the ED today. Management says care is prioritised for the sickest patients. As part of the response additional ward rounds are being made to accelerate discharges and where possible patients are moved to Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s hospitals.
Patients who are seriously ill or injured or worried that their life is in danger should continue to attend the ED where they will be treated as a priority. The public are asked to consider using Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh, and St John’s hospital Limerick, GPs, out-of-hours GP services and pharmacists before attending the Emergency Department.Injury Units in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s are operating as normal. Opening hours for Ennis and Nenagh Injury Units are 8am -8pm and St John’s Injury Unit 8am-7pm. Cashel Minor Injury Unit is available Mon – Fri from 8.30am – 4.15pm. Contact 062 70409. For full contacts for the units, and the services available there, please see: https://www2.hse.ie/services/injury-units/
