UL Hospitals Group issue apology to delayed patients

UL Hospitals Group has “sincerely apologised” to patients facing long waits Emergency Department (ED) during busy periods. On Friday there were 75 patients on trolleys, compared to 81 on Thursday.

“The Emergency Department at UHL continues to be one of the busiest in the country. There has been a surge in presentations to Emergency Departments this week. We have been working hard to progress patients through the system to discharge, so that we can free up beds for the patients in the Emergency Department who are awaiting admission. Surgery at UHL has been curtailed over the last number of days to enable us to use that bed capacity for patients in the Emergency Department,” the group said in a statement issued on Friday.

“Access to transitional care and home care package funding has been reduced over the past two weeks, which has led to an increase in delayed discharges. However, we continue to work with our community colleagues to progress transition of appropriate patients to the community where possible. UHL is providing full care to all patients who are waiting in the Emergency Department. The enhanced infrastructures of the new ED enable us to accommodate a number of these patients in single rooms while in the department. We are maximising the use of the beds available across the group, and we have been moving patients on a daily basis to these sites,” the statement added.

“UL Hospitals Group is appealing to members of the public to use the Emergency Department for emergencies only, and consider all care options before attending the ED at UHL. People should attend their GPs, or out of hours GP service, in the first instance, and they can be referred to an Assessment Unit the following day if required. Local Injury Units are open in Ennis and Nenagh hospitals from 8am to 8pm every day, and in St John’s, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday. However, if you are seriously injured or ill or are worried your life is at risk, please attend the ED, where you will be prioritised,” the UL Hospitals Group statement concluded.