A high volume of patients in a busy two to three day period has prompted University Hospital Limerick to appeal to members of the public to consider all care options before arriving at its Emergency Department.
In what is becoming a regular occurrence, UL Hospitals Group issued a statement urging members of the public not to attend the ED “unless absolutely necessary”. UHL has been “managing high volumes of patients” for the 48 to 72 hours.
“We apologise to those patients who are experiencing lengthy waits for beds, and we would like to reassure them, and their families, that we are working to alleviate the situation. We are appropriately transferring patients to other hospitals in our Group and are working with the MidWest Community Healthcare to access appropriate beds within the community. All patients are receiving expert medical care and every effort is being made to make their stay as comfortable as possible,” a spokesperson told The Clare Echo.
Local injury units at Ennis and Nenagh which are both open from 8am to 8pm plus St John’s Hospital (8am to 6pm) are suggested by UHL at the present moment to treat broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns. “We urge people to consider all available care options and not attend the ED at UHL unless absolutely necessary. It is crucial that the ED be kept for emergencies only”.
“If you are seriously injured or ill, or are worried that your life is at risk, the ED will assess and treat you as a priority,” the spokesperson concluded.
