UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick (UHL) is again appealing to the public to consider all care options before presenting at the Emergency Department.
Hospital management say recent weeks have seen an exceptionally high number of unwell medical patients associated with a surge in respiratory illnesses and who require admission to hospital. A total of 261 patients attended the ED on Monday, significantly above average and the weekend is also reported to have been unusually busy.
UHL is currently at its highest state of escalation. Surge capacity has been opened at UHL and across hospitals in the group. Elective activity in UHL is being reviewed on a daily basis, with only urgent and time-critical patients, including cancer cases, scheduled for surgery this week.
The Emergency Department remains open 24/7 and urgent care is being delivered to those who need it most. Anyone who comes to the Emergency Department in University Hospital Limerick who doesn’t have a life-threatening or severe illness or injury will face a significant wait according to management.
The INMO reports that there are 109 patients on trolleys in UHL, 4 in Clonmel hospital and 5 patients on trolleys in Nenagh Hospital.
640 patients, including 27 children, are being treated without a bed in Irish hospitals today according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
