Record high attendances at the Emergency Department (ED) in University Hospital Limerick in recent days have led management to cancel all but the most urgent elective surgery and outpatient diagnostics at the hospital this Monday.

The unprecedented level of ED attendance is driven by a surge in patients with respiratory infections, including COVID-19, flu and RSV, and significant numbers of people with trauma injuries resulting from slips and trips on the ice over recent days.

Yesterday saw 221 people attending the ED, and 251 on Saturday: the busiest weekend ever recorded at the hospital.

This morning’s decision, taken in line with our Escalation Plan, includes the redeployment of medical staff to the ED, and the transfer of appropriate trauma patients to Croom Orthopaedic Hospital for treatment.

A spokesperson for UL Hospitals Group said, “We have been directly contacting all patients with surgery or diagnostics appointments scheduled for today, and these appointments will be rescheduled at the earliest opportunity. We apologise to everyone impacted by the decision, which was taken in the interests of patient safety and to help healthcare teams focus on inpatients, emergency patients, and the most time-critical elective patients.

“Anyone presenting to ED today with a less urgent condition is going to face an exceptionally long wait for care. We urge the public to consider all available healthcare alternatives to ED.

“Less acutely unwell patients are asked to first consider our Injury Units, GPs, out-of-hours GP services and pharmacists before attending ED.

“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. For full contacts for the units, and the services available there, please see this link.

“We apologise to every patient who is currently experiencing a long wait for admission at UHL, and for the inconvenience and frustration this causes for patients’ loved ones.”