Exceptionally busy A&E at UHL prompts call to consider alternatives

THE UL Hospitals Group has appealed to members of the public to consider all alternative care options rather than visit the extremely busy emergency department at UHL.
People with less urgent complaints are advised to expect long delays at the ED today, and should first consider Injury Units, GPs, out-of-hours GP services and pharmacists before attending ED, which continues to experience record presentations.
In the 24 hours to 8am on Sunday, 249 people presented at ED. Over the past five days, the average attendance has been 252, with a mid-week high on Wednesday of 274.
This is far in excess of the 195 average daily presentation figure in the last full year pre-pandemic (2019).
The exceptionally high level of emergency presentations and admissions UHL reflects the experience at hospitals across the country.
As part of its escalation plan, additional ward rounds, accelerated discharges and identification of patients for transfer to Model 2 hospitals are all underway.
A spokesperson for the HSE said, “We are reminding members of the public that our Injury Units are open seven days a week, including bank holiday Monday. Injury Units in Ennis Hospital and Nenagh Hospital are open from 8am to 8pm and St John’s Hospital from 8am to 7pm.
“We apologise to patients who are experiencing delays as a result of the significant demands on our service.”