University Hospital Limerick is appealing to patients with less urgent complaints not to attend the Emergency Department at UHL due to overcrowding issues.
Hospital management is asking patients to consider all other available healthcare options to help them avoid long waits in the Emergency Department.
During the month of April, average daily attendances at the ED were 227, compared with the 195 recorded in 2019, the last full year prior to the pandemic.
This trend has continued into May as hospital staff experienced five particularly busy days over the long bank holiday weekend, with 276 patients attending last Friday, followed by 195 on Saturday, 184 on Sunday, 199 on the bank holiday Monday and 264 on Tuesday.
Hospital Management says there are 69 admitted patients waiting for a bed at UHL outside of designated bed spaces today.
A small number of surgical patients have had their procedures at UHL deferred today in order to prioritise the sickest patients coming through the Emergency Department. Elective activity across the Group – which includes St John’s Limerick, Nenagh and Ennis Hospitals is being reviewed daily. Any patient whose procedure is deferred will be contacted by the hospital and all patients are advised to attend for their appointment/procedure unless contacted to advise otherwise.